Middle East tensions have escalated following the shooting down of three Israeli drones by Iran’s air defences in the early Friday hours, an action confirmed by Iran. An official from the United States (US) made it clear that the White House had not sanctioned the strike.
This came shortly after US Defence Secretary Lloyd J Austin III held discussions with his Israeli equivalent, Yoav Gallant. The discussions centered around how to react to the volley of missiles that Iran had launched into Israel the previous weekend. The interaction occurred on Thursday, specifically aimed at regional threats.
US President Joe Biden persuaded the Israeli government to view their effectively staving off the Iranian offensive, where a fusion of local and US air defences neutralised 99% of the attacks, as a triumph. However, Israel proceeded to attack a military installation in Isfahan in retaliation.
Early narratives indicated Iranian nuclear installations as the drone targets, but these were quickly debunked. The damage to the site was relatively minor. Following this, Iran’s Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, warned the Israelis during a CNN interview that his country’s military would retaliate decisively if there was further ‘adventurism’.
In a conversation from Iran’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian delivered a clear message to the Israelis via Erin Burnett. If they tested Iran’s patience again, their reaction would be swift, severe, and fully within the bounds of international law.
He conveyed a message to the White House through the Swiss Embassy in Tehran, cautioning Israel against making further mistakes, adding that Iran’s counteraction would be decisive, definitive and, for the Israelis, regrettable. He stated that Iran is not in favour of escalating tension or crises in the Middle East and hopes that Israel would refrain from repeating past catastrophic mistakes.
Although the strikes’ damage was minimal, they are seen as a symbol of the ineffective sway that recent communication from the White House has had on the Israeli government. Mr Biden’s team communicated separately with Israeli officials on Thursday, calling for a halt to a pending strike on Rafah in southern Gaza. According to a White House statement, the Israelis concurred to recommence discussions.
During the meeting chaired by Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser, the White House argued that Israel’s proposed attack strategies did not meet Mr Biden’s recent directive that all military activities should aim to reduce civilian casualties in Gaza. The effectiveness of their argument was confirmed when those options were dismissed.
However, the region is now tensely awaiting Iran’s response to the strike, as it could be interpreted as the “adventurism” they had expressed concerns over. The recent interview of Iran’s foreign minister with CNN indicated that, in his view, Israel had overstepped the “red line” with their recent attack on an embassy in Damascus, Syria.
The foreign minister emphasized that their strike was aimed at military objectives, strictly adhering to the Vienna Conventions, and did not intend to target economic, financial or civilian sites.