Why is Iran expected to attack Israel? What to know about the crisis | Parami News

JERUSALEM: The Middle East is in a state of high tension less than a week after the assassination of a senior Hamas leader in Tehran, Iran, and that of a leading Hezbollah member in Beirut. In response to Israeli leaders’ threats against Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated along with other leaders of Iranian-backed militant groups in Tehran, the Iranian government has announced that it would soon retaliate. Were Israel responsible for breaching Iran’s defenses?

Israeli officials have refused to comment on whether their country was involved but Iranian officials and Hamas members immediately blamed Israel and promised revenge.Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued an order for Iran to target Israel directly as reported by three Iranian officials familiar with the directive.

This comes after Nasser Kanaan, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson said yesterday that “it is necessary to punish” Israel though “Tehran is not interested in escalating the regional conflicts.”

How does Lebanon come into play?

Hezbollah has also been named as one of Iran’s proxy forces that will be engaged during any retaliatory attack. They include militias from Iraq as well as Yemen which are directly allied with pro-Iranian governments.

Haniyeh’s killing occurred less than 24 hours after an Israeli airstrike killed Fuad Shukr who was a top commander of Hezbollah in Beirut; even before then there had been heightened tensions between Israel and its proxies from Iran. Hassan Nasrallah who is Hezbollah’s leader had said after the strike at Beirut that its conflict with Israel had taken on new dimensions warning of huge reprisals.

Israel has over the past several months fought off repeated attacks by Hezbollah in retaliation for war against Hamas in Gaza during which time this latter group fired thousands rockets or drones into Israel purportedly acting because they are backed by Iran too. Northern towns around the Lebanese border were evacuated; similarly, Israeli forces took part in counter-strikes.

The World Health Organization said it had sent 32 tons of emergency medicine to Lebanon in case the situation deteriorates into a wider conflict.

Several American soldiers are believed to have been injured in a rocket attack targeting U.S. personnel housed at a base in Iraq’s western desert, hours later according to US defense officials. The attack on Ain al Asad Air Base resembles similar ones carried out by Iran-backed Iraqi armed groups that have repeatedly targeted the base over the years and have become more prevalent during the Gaza war since October.

How has Israel responded?

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly warned on Sunday that: “We are faced with Iran’s evil axis on several fronts” adding, “We are prepared for any scenario both offensively and defensively.”

“I say again to our adversaries – we will react and make them pay heavily for every act of aggression against us,” Netanyahu said addressing Tel Aviv’s enemies; he also warned his enemies to stop all forms of aggression against his country or they would face serious consequences from anywhere.

According to there was information released by Yoav Gallant Israel’s Defense Minister who met Lloyd Austin yesterday, which indicated readiness by Israeli military forces including its allies against attacks from Iran as well as its proxy militia groups.

“On Sunday, Gallant said at an Israeli base: “We are prepared very strongly in defense, on land and in the air, and we are ready to move quickly to attack or to respond. We will exact a price from the enemy, as we have been doing in recent days. If it dares to attack us, it will pay a heavy price.””

What diplomacy is going on?

Iran and its proxies threaten war against Israel; therefore, frantic diplomatic efforts are underway.

President Joe Biden convened his national security team to discuss developments in the Middle East and spoke with King Abdullah II of Jordan on Monday after Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi recently flew to Tehran for talks with his Iranian counterpart. In April, Iran and Israel clashed tit-for-tat as Jordan intercepted Iranian missiles and drones because it is a strong western ally.

“Escalation is in no one’s interest,” Matthew Miller, the State Department spokesperson told reporters during a briefing on Monday. He added that the United States did not consider escalation “inevitable” as this was being communicated through allies of Iran across the region that an assault would not serve their interests or those of other areas.

According to the White House account of their conversation, “the leaders discussed their efforts to de-escalate regional tensions including an immediate ceasefire agreement and hostage release deal.”

The Egyptian foreign ministry stated that Egypt’s foreign minister Badr Abdelatty had raised this issue with Antony J Blinken America’s secretary of state urging him to pressurize Israel into seriously engaging in negotiations towards ceasefire. According to the State Department Blinken “reiterated that all parties should refrain from actions that would escalate the conflict.”

Accordingly, General Michael E Kurilla who leads U.S Central Command landed in Israel yesterday putting final touches in place together with Israeli military ahead of any potential Iranian operation according to Israeli military.

Gallant said Kurilla arriving at this time in Israel is basically the U.S support towards Israel in action.

“The relationship between Israel and the United States is unshakable,” he said in a statement.

In its statement, The Organization of Islamic Cooperation reported that it would hold an emergency meeting of foreign ministers from Arab countries and other Muslim nations in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday to discuss “the continued crimes of the Israeli occupation” such as Haniyeh’s assassination and “aggressions” against Iran by Israel.

How are Western governments advising their citizens in the region?

Countries like Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, broke the silence when they asked their nationals to leave Lebanon immediately over this weekend.