- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering a response to Iranian drone attacks on Israel.
- Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles on Saturday night.
- There are concerns that the conflict in the region could further intensify.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will need to consider the implications of escalating conflict in the Middle East when considering Israel's response to Iranian attacks, experts say.
The Israeli military said its air defenses, supported by the US, British, French and Jordanian militaries, intercepted 99% of more than 300 drones and missiles launched by Iran on Saturday night.
A small number of ballistic missiles still reached Israeli territory.
Iran launched the attack in retaliation for Israel's bombing of Iranian diplomatic facilities in Damascus earlier this month, killing seven Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps officers.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei responded to the murder by “The Zionist regime will be punished,” he warned.
However, while some thought Iran could carry out a “symbolic” attack, experts say it goes further than that.
And depending on how Israel and Iran move forward, the two countries may risk escalating their years of shadow war into an open regional conflict.
“I don't think we've passed the point of no return, but I do think we're in new, kind of uncharted territory. Now it all depends on how different actors decide to act. It depends,” said Mairav Zonszein. A senior Israel analyst at International Crisis Group told Business Insider.
“This is a very dangerous attack, and it could easily end with people talking about a future war, not whether Israel will respond,” said Michael Horowitz, a geopolitical expert and security analyst. It was sexual,” wrote X (former Twitter user).
In another post, he argued that the attack was not a symbolic attack, as some have suggested, because Iran was trying to “overwhelm Israel's air defenses.”
Zonszein agreed that the attack was “not symbolic,” but told BI it was “coordinated in the sense that it was a larger and more forceful response” than the Israeli public expected. Ta.
“It's a very volatile situation,” Zonsain continued. “There are conflicting views on whether Israel should respond. Many military analysts and former officials say, 'Israel was able to defend itself. This is a victory. And we should stop here and say that Israel We should take advantage of the support we are getting.”
Anti-missile systems are activated after Iran launches a drone and missile toward Israel, seen from Ashkelon, Israel, April 14, 2024. Amir Cohen, via Reuters
The Economist's defense editor Shashank Joshi told LBC that the attack was so “coordinated” and had “a very small lethal effect” that Prime Minister Netanyahu was able to avoid launching a full-scale attack on Iranian facilities and personnel. He said his current hope is that the attack can be limited to attack on the Iranian regime.
Although the damage was minimal, it was the first time the Islamic Republic had directly attacked the Jewish state, and the impact of Iran's actions is difficult to ignore.
“Iran has never directly attacked Israel in violation of its sovereignty, that is, it has never directly attacked Israeli territory. Therefore, Iran is now saying that the issue is resolved. “But it would be very surprising to see that Israelis don't feel the need to do so.”Given the level of escalation, a response is necessary.” researcher Carmiel Arbit told BI.
Iran has since warned Israel and its allies not to fight back, saying it would launch even larger attacks if they retaliated.
Some Sunni Arab countries may unite against Iran
How Israel chooses to respond now rests in the hands of Israel's war cabinet, which includes Netanhayu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and retired army general Benny Gantz.
According to the BBC, Gantz has already said that Israel will “pay a price” from Iran at the appropriate time.
But this cabinet runs the serious risk of escalating regional conflicts and jeopardizing support from allies, especially the United States.
Ahead of the attack, President Joe Biden said the United States would “do everything in our power to protect Israel's security” while avoiding further escalation.
The president later warned Netanyahu that the United States would not cooperate with any Israeli counterattack against Iran, a US official familiar with the matter told CNN.
Meanwhile, Arbit said Iran's unprecedented actions could cause some Sunni Arab countries to unite against Iran.
“I think what was particularly interesting yesterday was that we saw Iran violate the airspace of a number of Arab countries, including Jordan, which also subsequently joined the response. So, on the one hand, the moderate coalition Sunni countries find themselves united in a very concrete way in the interest of containing the threat that Iran poses to the region. ”
