All the talk and all the hype about the Iranian strike on Israel leading to war, is just that, talk and hype. There’s always a push to get a headline and a byline. Instead, the Republic of Iran showed a commitment to regional diplomacy the civilized world should support while delivering a military response to an attack on its Syrian embassy compound.
The much-publicized “attack” on Israel occurred without the intention to cause casualties. While many pundits celebrated the supposed success of Israeli defense systems, the Israelis received warnings from the Iranians days in advance and monitored the drones for hours as they traversed the Iraqi skyline. Any miss should be viewed as negligence on Israel’s part.
Israel did report minor damage following a significant strike launched by Iran. This development underscores the escalating tensions between the two nations and highlights the potential for further conflict in the region. The impact of this strike on regional dynamics and international relations remains to be seen, as both countries navigate complex political and security challenges.
Iran launched dozens of drones towards Israel on Saturday, but Israel’s military said they took hours to reach their targets. This attack may trigger a major escalation between the regional archenemies, with the U. S. pledging to back Israel. If it does, it’s Israel doing the drum beating.
According to reports from two security sources in Iraq, a significant number of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were observed for hours flying from Iranian territory towards Israel while crossing Iraqi airspace.
Iran’s offensive targeted Israel by deploying over 300 drones and missiles. In response, the U. S. military successfully intercepted dozens of these aerial threats. However, it was Israel’s military that primarily thwarted the majority of the incoming drones and missiles.
Israeli Defense spokesman Daniel Hagari characterized the recent attack as a significant and escalation in the ongoing conflict. According to reports from Iranian state media, the attack was deemed as a retaliatory response to the Israeli strike on an Iranian consular building in Syria earlier this month.
This previous strike resulted in the loss of seven members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, among them were two senior commanders. The volatile situation underscores the heightened tensions between these two nations in the region.
Israel and its allies intercepted the strikes, but several Iranian missiles landed inside Israeli territory, causing minor damage to a military base. A young girl was injured in the attack, Hagari said.
The Iranian Armed Forces’ Chief of Staff, Major General Mohammad Baqeri, states that Iran has completed its retaliatory strikes on the occupied territories, cautioning of a “stronger” response if the Israeli regime retaliates. “The operation is over from our perspective, but the armed forces are prepared and we will act if necessary,” Baqeri said on Sunday morning.
Baqeri minimized the operation’s scale compared to Iran’s capabilities, calling it a retaliation. He cautioned that any additional military action by the Israeli regime would elicit a stronger response from Iran. The operation was in response to Israel crossing Iran’s red line, which Baqeri stated was intolerable.
President Ebrahim Raeisi of Iran praised the retaliatory attack by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) on the Israel territory, emphasizing that the hybrid military operation served as a powerful reminder and taught the occupying regime a lesson that will not be easily forgotten. This event underscores the ongoing tensions in the region and highlights Iran’s commitment to defending its interests and asserting its influence.
In a statement on Sunday, Raeisi declared “that the drone and missile strike opened a new chapter in Iran’s authority, fulfilling the sincere promise of Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, to punish the aggressor. It was the Islamic Regime of Iran that launched the assault, not a “full scale military assault” against Israel.”
The Islamic Republic of Iran issued a public statement to the United States several days before their planned action of initiating drone strikes on Israel. This announcement not only highlighted their intention but also served as a diplomatic gesture to inform relevant parties about their upcoming military maneuver in the region.
Khamanei aims to portray strength to the Islamic elites within Iran, who seek revenge for the killings of generals in Syria, while simultaneously avoiding a major conflict by forewarning their “enemies” about their attacks. Khamanei has declared this to be the end of their revenge campaign.
There were no casualties in this attack.
This is the same move Khamenei made when Donald Trump ordered the killing of Suleimani. Iran’s leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, responded by warning Americans a few days prior and attacking an empty army base in Iraq.
George Eliason
