According to a report by the New York Times, Iran's Supreme Leader
Ali Khamenei has ordered a direct attack on Israel, in retaliation for
the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, attributed to Israel.
Three Iranian officials who were briefed on the matter further added
that the attack would involve drones and missiles targeting military
sites near Tel Aviv and Haifa. According to these officials, Iran will
be careful to avoid hitting civilian targets in any attack on Israel.
Khamenei gave the order at an emergency meeting of Iran's Supreme
National Security Council this morning, shortly after Iran announced
Haniyeh's death.
The Iranian officials indicated that one option being considered is a
coordinated attack from Iran and other fronts where it has allied
forces, including Yemen, Syria, and Iraq, to achieve maximum impact.
Khamenei, who has the final say in all state matters and is also the
supreme commander of the Iranian armed forces, ordered military
commanders from the Revolutionary Guards and the army to prepare both
offensive and defensive plans in case Israel or the United States
attacks Iran, and the war escalates, the officials said.
Israel neither confirmed nor denied the killing of Haniyeh,
who was in Tehran for the inauguration ceremony of Iran's new
president. The killing stunned Iranian officials, who described it as a
red line being crossed. It was an embarrassing security breach for a
country eager to project power, but long frustrated by its inability to
prevent Israel from conducting covert operations on its soil.
Haniyeh and the assassination scene
The embarrassment was compounded by the prominence of Haniyeh, the
presence of other allies, and the fact that he was attacked in a highly
secured guesthouse of the Revolutionary Guards on a day of heightened
security in the capital. Analysts said that Iran sees retaliation as
necessary both to avenge Haniyeh's killing and to deter Israel from
targeting other powerful enemies like Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah
or General Ismail Qaani, commander of the Quds Force overseeing military
groups outside Iran.
"Iran probably believes it has no choice but to respond to deter
further Israeli attacks, protect its sovereignty, and maintain its
credibility with its regional partners," said Ali Vaez, Iran director at
the International Crisis Group.
As a reminder, the last time Iran directly attacked Israel was on the
190th day of the war, in April, in what was called "Drone Night," when
the Iranian Revolutionary Guards launched dozens of drones and missiles toward certain areas in Israel.
1 comment:
I have a sneaking hunch that they are going to go back and forth until somebody gets tired of the bullshit and it goes off big time.
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