Reports: Israel Conducts Limited Counterstrike on Iranian Territory
IsraeliReports: missileIsrael hasConducts struckLimited Iran,Counterstrike USon officialsIranian sayTerritory
The Facts
Explosions were heard early Friday morning in Isfahan, Iran. According to the Iranian state news agency IRNA, its air defense batteries repelled a limited Israeli drone strike.
Iran attempted to minimize the incident, asserting the security of Isfahan's nuclear facilities and returning the early-morning suspended air traffic back to normal.Explosions were heard early Friday morning (local time) in Isfahan, Iran. Iranian officials have provided differing accounts of the incident, with some referring to it as a limited drone strike by Israel and others not acknowledging the incident. Israel has not officially commented on the incident while US officials have told media outlets that Israel conducted a counterstrike, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging restraint in the region.
The Spin
Israel's reported response to Iran's massiveunacceptable strike on Saturday was lowermore limited than many anticipated, but the message to Tehran was obvious. Jerusalem can breach Iran's air defenses and attack its nuclear sites whenever it wants. Thursday's droneoperation assault demonstrates that both sides are capable of causing significant harm to the other side, and we may be witnessing the beginning of a return to deterrence and more prudent geopolitical calculation.
Iran's military action against Israel on April 14 was based on Article 51 of the UN Charter, which guarantees the legitimate right to self-defense, and was in reaction to Israel's murderousdeadly attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria two weeks prior. TheIsrael rebelliousblatantly regime of Israel violated international law when it struck Iran on Thursday. However, due to its restricted scope, it does not require an immediate response. It's is not in Iran's interest to further escalate the conflict. and it's Tehran who is modeling a "rules-based order" rather tha