Israeli officials say they didn’t see a strike on a high-level Iranian target in Syria as a provocation, and did not give Washington a heads-up about it until right before it happened.
Israel se había acostumbrado a atacar a funcionarios iraníes sin sufrir represalias directas por parte de Irán. Dicha suposición fue revertida por los ataques del sábado.
The Israeli war cabinet met again on Monday to discuss the strike, with some hawkish members of the prime minister’s government calling for a swift and forceful retaliation.
Israel had grown used to targeting Iranian officials without head-on retaliation from Iran, an assumption overturned by Iran’s attacks on Saturday.
Experts say Tehran does not want a broader war. But it is far from clear whether Iran or Israel will choose to escalate a conflict that has become more direct and out of the shadows.
The killing, which Israel called a “terrorist attack,” prompted rioting by Israeli settlers that killed one Palestinian and raised fears of a broader escalation.
After Israel killed several top Iranian commanders, Iran wants to respond without provoking further escalation, military analysts say, but there is a dangerous risk of miscalculation.
The State Department has barred its employees from traveling to large parts of Israel. Iran has repeatedly vowed to strike back over the deadly bombing this month of an Iranian Embassy complex in Syria.
The visit of Gen. Michael E. Kurilla, the U.S. military commander in the Middle East, came as diplomats sought to avert a wider war.
The covert operation, described by U.S., Iranian and Israeli officials, is heightening concerns that Iran is seeking to turn the West Bank into a flashpoint in its shadow war with Israel.
A guide to the armed groups that let Iran extend its influence throughout the region.
Though no reason was given for the moves, Israeli newspapers said they came amid fears of an increased threat from Iran after an Israeli strike in Syria.
In an airstrike on Monday in Damascus, Israel’s military displayed pinpoint precision. Hours later in Gaza, that same military killed seven aid workers.
Israel can likely argue that its actions did not violate international law’s protections for diplomatic missions, experts say.
Current and former American officials say the airstrike on an Iranian embassy compound in Damascus was a serious blow to Tehran.
Tehran promises major retaliation, and the danger of a miscalculation is ever-present. But neither side wants a major shooting war, given the stakes.
The airstrike on an Iranian Embassy building was one of the biggest attacks yet in a shadow war that has increasingly been moving into the open.
Stripping the Islamic State of its self-proclaimed caliphate is not the same as beating it.
Israel’s military did not immediately comment on the Syria strikes, but its defense minister said Israel would pursue Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militia, “every place it operates.”
A monitoring group said that an Israeli strike on Syria hit multiple targets, including a weapons depot belonging to Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese militia. Here’s a closer look at Iran’s proxies in the region.
The Islamic State has long threatened to strike Russia for helping the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, stay in control.
Soaring needs and wealthy countries’ focus on Ukraine have left aid agencies with too little money to address the world’s other crises, forcing them to cut programs.