Revoltingest said:
Should we defend Iran against an Israeli attack?
I'm assuming that your "we" means the United States.
If that's the case, then my reply is
Of course not! Why in the world should we?
Iran isn't a US ally. Iran isn't any sort of friend of the United States. Their government's stated goal is "Death to America!"
So why should we risk any American lives in their behalf?
Revoltingest said:
But those 2 countries have long been attacking each other in niggling ways.
The threatened attack is unprovoked
The drone strike on the ship looks like provocation. Intentionally so.
would be the start of much war.
Probably not. An Israeli strike would almost certainly be measured and limited in scope, probably directed at destroying whatever Revolutionary Guards base is closest to where the attack on the ship took place.
It raises the question of whether Iran should be defended,
I expect that they would try to defend themselves. I see no reason whatsoever that we should aid them.
& Israel prevented from such evil.
I don't see an Israeli retaliatory strike as being evil. I'm not necessarily suggesting that the US join Israel in such a strike in this instance, but I would certainly be cheering for Israeli success.
This isn't the first time that this has happened. Iran has been launching sporadic attacks on shipping in the Straits of Hormuz for years. I'm not sure why they do it, probably so as to demonstrate some kind of control over transit in and out of the Persian Gulf and access to its huge petroleum reserves. The US and the Europeans have been operating freedom of navigation patrols for years, escorting tankers when necessary.
It's in the US interest (and in the interest of most of the world) to keep that strategic waterway open. Hence it's in the interest of the US and the rest of the world to demonstrate that Iranian military adventurism has a price.
If Israel can handle that instead of us having to do it, so much the better for us. But it's important for us to communicate that we stand behind Israel in this instance.