This Rory Stewart explainer on Israel's pre-emptive attack on Iran packs a punch.

@RoryStewartUK Wait forgive me if I misheard but did you say there’s no evidence that Iran plans to drop a nuke on top of Israel? If so that’s one of the most ludicrous statements ever and demonstrates a deep lack of knowledge about the region which I’m sure Rory does so I’m confounded.

It was a great description of pre-emptive strikes. However the thing it didn’t mention is that (unusually for Israel of late) their strikes were proportionate to the threat they feel they faced. They targeted specific structures that related to nuclear development and ballistic missiles.

This is exceptionally stupid on three accounts. 1. Iran is continuously attacking Israel through their proxies. The rockets in Gaza, Lebanon and Yemen were not purchased without knowledge of where they were going to land. They were gifted, with payment for those operating them and with proactive assistance in launching them at Israel. On top of this, Iran did attack Israel not long ago. Sure, there were negotiations, but Iran were stalling and the negotiations failed. This is retaliation, absolutely legal. 2. The terror regime in Tehran is not a legal government. They have no mandate. They are terrorists holding their population hostage. The Iranian people are on the side of Israel in this conflict. Their warring and their ambitions of weapons of mass destruction is not in the interest of the Iranian people, but designed to drag them into a hotter and much more unpleasant war. 3. The regime does not want to attack Israel? There is no evidence of this? Rory, this is called lying. There is massive evidence of this. They believe in an end of days return of their 12th prophet, after the destruction of Israel, and have absolutely proven over 46 years that they care more about this than anything else. Your argument is against facts. You were among the people who occupied and ruined Iraq. Are you suffering from a guilty conscience. Or are you just appealing to the left wing audience you have found?

@RoryStewartUK It was embarrassing

@RoryStewartUK I've got no skin in the game at all and this isn't a point about bombing anyone. But if I was a country looking at another country who wanted to destroy me I'm not sure I'd be thinking "they're six months away from dropping a nuclear bomb on me... no worries..."

@RoryStewartUK The shamelessness of these two knows no bounds.

@RoryStewartUK Six months? Oh that’s ok then….

@RoryStewartUK Rory, you missed the most crucial part of this issue. Iran has a stated aim of the eradication of Israel, THAT is the key difference in any of these equivalences.

@RoryStewartUK Oh god Rory ..

@RoryStewartUK Israel, a country the size of Wales, doesn't have the luxury of intellectual masturbation when it comes to facing down a nuclear threat.