The incident took place amid increasing tensions between Israel and Iran since the outbreak of conflict in Gaza and fierce cross-border firefights between Israeli troops and Tehran-backed Hezbollah forces in Lebanon.
The US quickly denied being warned about Iran’s attack. However, Washington is believed to have to overcome the growing rift with the Netanyahu government over Israel’s actions in the military campaign against Hamas in Gaza, to help its most important ally in the Middle East against threats of retaliation. Continuous hostility from Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Commentators in Israel are speculating whether Tel Aviv’s next response will be “tailored based on the Iranians’ intentions or on the results of the attack.” According to some analysts, if the Netanyahu government is preparing for open conflict with Iran, the April 14 attack will be the excuse.
As of April 15, initial signs suggest that, under strong pressure from Washington to not drag the rest of the world into a larger conflict in the Middle East, Israel will cease fire. Israel’s War Cabinet Secretary Benny Gantz has announced that the country will “build a regional alliance and make Iran pay in the appropriate manner and time.”
However, as long as the conflict in Gaza continues, the possibility of further conflict is far from over. Prime Minister Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners are demanding a “destructive” response against the Muslim nation. The Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth described how “the drumbeat urging war rang out in the conference room of the War Cabinet.”
It is too early to predict the political impact of last weekend’s events on Mr. Netanyahu, who is trying to retain his position as leader of the Israeli government and fend off corruption charges against him.
Although many Israelis still feel angry because the leadership refuses to take responsibility for the intelligence failures and response to the October 7 Hamas raid, as well as the increasing number of calls for early elections. , but Netanyahu’s coalition remains stable. Polls show that the Israeli Prime Minister’s personal popularity and support for his Likud party have begun to increase again in recent six weeks.
And although polls have consistently shown Israeli public support for a ground offensive campaign into Lebanon, after Gaza, to eliminate the threat posed by the pro-Iranian armed group Hezbollah in the region Northern border, Tel Aviv did not consider a conflict with Iran to be a serious risk.
For many years, Mr. Netanyahu has continuously attacked and made accusations against Iran, but he has not yet realized his threats with direct and public action. People in the region can only hope that the Israeli Prime Minister does not see military confrontation with the Muslim nation as another political opportunity.