On Saturday night, Iran launched hundreds of drones and missiles against Israel. Israel claims the attack was “foiled” as almost 99 percent of the projectiles were intercepted by it and its allies, including the US and the UK, and that it is now weighing its response.
“The matter can be deemed concluded,” Iran’s mission to the UN said on X just a few hours after the start of the operation late Saturday.
After decades of shadow wars and covert operations Iran and Israel, long time arch enemies, are now in direct confrontation.
The Iranian launches described as ‘Operation True Promise’ set off air raid sirens in cities across Israel, including Tel Aviv, as a new chapter was being written in the turbulent history of the Middle East.
It appeared to be a measured, calculated response from Iran in order to regain deterrence and not to be seen as weak in front of the Iranian nation in particular.
The government of Iran, in my view, seems to have achieved its objective by sending a strong message across without causing loss of lives and damage to property in Israel, although the latter had killed former’s two top generals in an air strike on Iranian embassy in Damascus on April 1.
Both the adversaries must take steps aimed at de-escalation in order to avoid a full-blown conflagration in the region which will not be in either side’s interests.
The US, the principal supporter of Israel, too, has advocated de-escalation as President Biden is said to have told prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the US would oppose any Israeli counter-attack against Iran.
No doubt, reprisals from either side or both sides would lead to a regional war, or the world war III perhaps, with catastrophic consequences.
Shujaat Ali Khan (Karachi)
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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