After Israel hit multiple Iranian targets over the weekend, Iran’s leaders appear to be looking for compromise. The airborne initiative follows regular ballistic assaults from Iranian soil, designed to supplement Hamas’ war of antisemitic violence which commenced last year.
Representatives of both countries have presented the Israeli strikes as almost a matter of routine, self-described as “targeted,” with Israel’s military stating:
In response to months of continuous attacks from the regime in Iran against the State of Israel—right now the Israel Defense Forces is conducting precise strikes on military targets in Iran.
On Sunday, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei commented that Israel’s attack “should not be exaggerated nor downplayed.”
According to The Times, the Middle East has stepped “back from [the] brink after Iran dials down rhetoric.” But attempts by Iran to sound moderate, by not not calling for immediate retaliation, should not be taken at face value. The Shia Islamist state is dedicated to destroying the world’s only Jewish and the sole democracy in the Middle East, including by sponsoring Yemen’s Houthi movement (whose Arabic banners read “God is Great, Death to America, Death to Israel, Curse on the Jews, Victory to Islam.”.
Since the October 7th massacre last year, Iran has trumpeted the importance of its so-called Axis of Resistance, which brings together Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and several smaller groupings against Israel—in an admission that such outfits are, in whole or part, Iranian proxies. Despite this, it has stopped short of launching an all-out war with Israel, instead initiating selected waves of drone and rocket attacks from its territory, with around 200 missiles fired at Israel on October 1st, killing one person in the West Bank.
Nevertheless, Iranian authorities announced on Saturday through the semi-official Tasnim news agency:
Iran reserves the right to respond to any aggression, and there is no doubt that Israel will face a proportional reaction for any action it takes.
The main point of moderate language emanating from Tehran is to buy time to prepare for future aggression, in line with its long-term pogromist commitments.
In Washington, the usual unfriendly advice coming from the Biden and Harris administration calls for Israeli restraint, particularly near nuclear facilities and oil fields. Despite this, two mothballed sites from Iran’s erstwhile nuclear programme were hit over the weekend.
Israel also targeted selected military sites in Syria’s central and southern parts with airstrikes early on Saturday, Syrian state news agency SANA reported. Israel has not confirmed striking Syria.
