Political unrest in the streets of Tehran.
Photo: REUTERS
On Friday night, Israel carried out a “limited” attack on Iranian territory: a military air base near the city of Isfahan, in the central part of the country, was damaged. The attack was carried out using small drones, presumably launched from Iran itself.
Radar systems did not detect any aircraft invading Iranian airspace. Another armada of stealth drones was shot down near Tabriz, about 800 kilometers north of Isfahan.
Data from flight tracking websites showed that airports in the attack area were closed in the morning and civilian flights were rerouted. A few hours later, Iran’s aviation agency announced the lifting of flight restrictions.
Local news agencies reported that the nuclear facilities in Isfahan were not damaged. According to CNN, they were not the target of the attack at all. The IRGC-run Fars news agency suggested that the possible target of the attack was a military radar located near Isfahan airport.
The Israel Defense Forces and the US Pentagon did not comment on the attack on Iran. The IRGC was infuriated by the fact that the night attack demonstrated that Tel Aviv could safely attack Tehran from its own territory. Particularly angry was provoked by the fact that Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, is celebrating his 85th birthday today, and Israelis couldn’t help but know about it.
Mahmoud Abbaszadeh Meshkini, a member of the foreign policy and national security committee of the Iranian parliament, said: This time Israel made a strategic and very dangerous mistake, “playing with the lion’s tail.” The deputy recalled that his country has the most modern military equipment and high-precision missiles.
But Israeli Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, commented on the attack on Iranian territory with a single word: “Weak.”
Leonid Tsukanov, RIAC expert and PIR Center consultant, emphasizes: it is still problematic to talk about the real damage of the next Israeli attack. Moreover, both sides are already actively exaggerating or, on the contrary, underestimating the consequences of the attack. For example, some officials in Tehran even explained the work of air defense as a “reaction to small birds.”
– The likely targets of this “limited” attack could actually only be the infrastructure of a military base or oil refineries. At the same time, the version of an attack on nuclear facilities, spread in the first hours after the attack, has already been officially refuted by the IAEA, Tsukanov added.
According to the political scientist, Tel Aviv urgently needed to “take a step” to save face in the region. However, it is important to remember: it was Israel that the Americans planned to entrust with the mission of creating an anti-Iran military alliance of Arab countries. The next attack was truly a puncture: the small number of weapons involved confirms that the Israelis had no intention of causing serious damage.
– At the same time, it is worth noting: the attack could be a test of the density of Iranian air and missile defense systems, as well as an evaluation of the response system to such attacks. Isfahan has already been the target of Israeli attacks, but last time it was factories linked to the IRGC that were attacked. This way, Tel Aviv can check if the procedure for tracking and neutralizing threats has changed during this time. In this context, it is possible that new attacks will occur on Iranian territory,” said the expert.
Tsukanov added: Strikes against targets in neighboring countries are a standard element of the confrontation between Iran and Israel. Perhaps this is what Israeli forces will focus on in the near future.
“However, here it is also important that the Israelis do not go too far: if Tehran considers the hunt for its military advisors abroad to be a systemic phenomenon, this will imply retaliatory measures and, as a consequence, a new round of escalation. ”, concluded the political scientist.
On April 1, Israeli planes attacked the Iranian consulate in Damascus. The attack killed seven IRGC members, including two generals. Tehran promised to respond to the attack and kept its word. On April 13, Iran attacked Israeli territory with hundreds of drones, ballistic and cruise missiles. Most of them were shot down: only the Nevatim military base, in the south of the country, suffered minor damage.
Several Middle Eastern countries have called for “self-restraint” and expressed alarm over growing instability in the region. Tel Aviv emphasized that attack options are being considered that will “send a signal” but will not cause casualties. According to the WSJ, IRGC bases in Syria could be a likely target, although Israeli allies do not want an “excessive response.”
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