OPEN LETTER/ Come to the dialogue and listen to me speak, otherwise I will cut off your scholarships, you will rot in prison. Please!

 Kliko këtu për të tjera
Voxpress:

"We are crazier than you think": Iran's message with the attack on Israel

2024-04-15 19:42:12Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
"We are crazier than you think": Iran's message with the attack
"We are crazier than you think": Iran's message with the attack on Israel

From the Financial Times

Hours after Iran launched a barrage of drones and missiles against Israel, Iranian military chiefs declared "mission accomplished."

Launching its first direct strike against its old enemy, Tehran intended the attack to be a brawny — if clearly telegraphed — show of force that unleashed its long shadow war with the Jewish state.

None of the 170 drones reached Israeli airspace.

Twenty-five of the 30 cruise missiles were shot down before crossing the country's borders, and most of the 120 ballistic missiles were destroyed by Israel's air defense systems, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

However, within the Islamist regime, the operation was hailed as a success: a response calibrated to restore its deterrence and strengthen its image among regional representatives and local loyalists.

It was also seen as evidence that Tehran would back up its threats and its willingness to take decisive action when provoked.

"Iran's message was clear: we are crazier than you realize and we are prepared to endure the consequences of war if necessary," said a regime insider.

"This is intended to serve as a deterrent and a signal to the US and Israel that 'enough is enough'."

The decision to launch a direct attack on Israel marked an important political gamble for the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has traditionally pursued a policy of "strategic patience" in responding to enemies such as the US and Israel.

That means the republic's ultimate decision-maker has sought to avoid direct conflict, even after accusing Israel of killing Iranian nuclear scientists and security officials inside the republic.

Instead, it has relied on asymmetric warfare and the use of regional proxies, such as Hezbollah and militias in Iraq and Syria.

Ahmad Dastmalchian, Iran's former ambassador to Lebanon, said the attack on Israel "opened a new chapter in Iran's defense policy" and represented "a paradigm shift from strategic patience to a multi-layered defense".

The attack was launched in retaliation for a suspected Israeli attack on Iran's consulate in Damascus that killed seven members of the Revolutionary Guard, including two senior officers.

Israel has mounted a series of strikes against Iranian targets in Syria since the October 7 Hamas attack sparked the Gaza war and sparked a wave of regional hostilities involving Iranian-backed militant groups.

At least 18 members of the Revolutionary Guard have been killed in Syria, while Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon have killed more than 250 fighters of Hezbollah, Iran's most powerful and important proxy.

Throughout, Iranian officials have repeatedly said the republic wants to avoid a wider regional war or a direct conflict with Israel.

However, Tehran feels that Damascus' attack has crossed a red line and is also concerned that a lack of response "would only encourage further Israeli threats and portray Iran as weak", according to regime insiders.

Iranian officials described the strike as "limited," with the drone and missile barrage designed to target an airbase and an intelligence center they said Israel had used in its April 1 attack on the Damascus consulate.

The Israeli military said the attack caused minimal damage to an air base in the south of the country.

No casualties were reported during the night's barrage, although one child was seriously injured by falling shrapnel after an interception.

Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami, commander of the guard, said the Iranian attack "could have been much larger, but we limited it to the facilities that the regime had used to attack the consulate."

Hossein Amirabdollahian, Iran's foreign minister, said Tehran had also given "our friends" in the region 72 hours' warning that the attack would begin.

He said Tehran had sent a message to Washington on Sunday that "its operation will be limited to the objective of legitimate defense and punishment of Israel" - signaling a desire to avoid any escalation with the US.


Në përputhje me standarded JTI

Video

SHIKO KANALIN NE YOUTUBE
×