Tag: Iran

Shortly after I published this article about the Israel Hamas war yesterday, Iran launched a drone and missile attack on Israel. Here’s what we know so far:

The attack consisted of several waves of drones, cruise and ballistic missiles. The first indication that an attack was underway was a 1618 EDT tweet from the IDF. They announced that they were aware of multiple launches from Iran and were tracking the inbound drones and cruise missiles.

185 drones, 110 intermediate range ballistic missiles and 36 cruise missiles were launched. Of all the munitions launched, only 7 IRBMs made it through to impact in Israel. All others missed or were intercepted. As of this writing, early Sunday afternoon, only 1 person is reported to have been injured in the strikes, but it is unclear if the injury was a direct result of the attack. Damage is reported to be minimal.

The Israeli air defense system, which includes the Patriot, Iron Dome, Arrow and David’s Sling systems, was not the only defense against the drone and cruise missile swarms. Israeli, US and British fighters were all involved, shooting down dozens of Shahed drones before they entered Israeli airspace, as were US and British warships. As an aside, I have to wonder how many US pilots became ‘aces’ last night. Drone and cruise missile shoot-downs count AFAIK.

Now on to the political situation. It’s beginning to look like the Biden White House gave Iran the green-light for this attack. If that turns out to be true, it’s going to end badly for Biden.

There is also a concerted effort to limit the Israeli response to the attack. Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu that nothing of “value” was hit in Iran’s airborne attack Saturday and asserted American forces will not be participating in any offensive against Iran, according to a report.

The G7 leaders held a teleconference today discussing the matter.

Let’s be crystal clear here, if this attack happened to any other country there would be zero calls for restraint. But because it’s Israel, well, they need to sit back and take it.

As I was researching this piece I ran across this tweet from Avi Mayer, the former editor-in-chief for the Jerusalem Post. It breaks down a lot of the mis-and-dis info you’re likely to see regarding this incident.

Let’s dispense with a few lies you will likely hear in the coming days: Lie #1: “Israel started this with its airstrike in Damascus.” False. Iran has been maintaining a constant assault on Israel for decades via its proxies in the region – chief among them Hezbollah, which is wholly funded, armed, and controlled by the Iranian regime. That assault has only intensified since October 7. Hezbollah has fired rockets and missiles into northern Israel on a near-daily basis for more than six months, causing the depopulation of much of northern Israel. Tens of thousands of Israelis have not seen their homes in half a year due to this Iranian-directed assault; many of their homes no longer exist, having been destroyed by Hezbollah’s rockets. The Houthis, another Iranian proxy group based in Yemen, have also fired numerous missiles at southern Israel. Finally, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad have been funded, armed, and trained by Iran for years and the Iranian regime views the Palestinian terror groups as part of its offensive efforts against Israel. There has not been a single day in the past six months in which Iran, via its various proxies in the region, has not attacked Israel. The airstrike in Damascus targeted individuals directly responsible for Iran’s ongoing assault on the Jewish state. Lie #2: “The target of Israel’s airstrike in Damascus was a diplomatic facility.” False. The notion that the target of the Damascus airstrike was a mere “Iranian consulate” is laughable. The building was a local headquarters of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a branch of the Iranian military that has been designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and multiple other countries. Those killed were senior figures in the IRGC, including Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a senior commander in the IRGC’s foreign operations unit who was responsible for liaising with Hezbollah, and his deputy, General Mohammad Hadi Hajriahim. Five other IRGC officers were killed in the airstrike, as were five Iranian-affiliated militiamen, one Hezbollah operative, one Iranian military advisor, and two apparent civilians. The airstrike was aimed at military figures in a military facility and the targets were directly involved in orchestrating attacks on Israel. The fact that the building was adjacent to the Iranian embassy does not change its military character. Lie #3: “Israel carried out the Damascus airstrike in order to provoke a wider war.” False. For months, Israel has limited its military response to the ongoing assault by Iranian proxy groups to tit-for-tat airstrikes and artillery fire directly targeting the sources of the attacks. The reality, however, is that large swaths of northern Israel have been uninhabitable due to the ongoing Hezbollah attacks, which are being directed by the group’s patron, Iran. The only way to force Hezbollah to stop its assault on northern Israel and restore calm is to target the Iranian military officials behind the attacks. That is what the Damascus airstrike was intended to do: to end the impunity enjoyed by Iranian military officials as they oversee ongoing attacks targeting the people of Israel. Lie #4: “Any Israeli response will cause the situation to escalate further.” False. The unprecedented Iranian assault on Israel, which involved hundreds of missiles and drones, was the escalation. It has been roundly condemned around the world. Israel will respond to this unparalleled act of aggression as any sovereign country would, not least in order to deter the Iranian regime from carrying out further attacks against Israeli territory and send the message that Israel will not tolerate massive attacks on its sovereign territory by a foreign state. Lie #5: “The relatively limited damage from the Iranian attack means it’s no big deal and Israel should let it go.” False. The Iranian assault was absolutely unprecedented in its scope and severity. The only reason it didn’t cause widespread damage and massive casualties is because Israel and its allies have, for years, invested billions of dollars in developing sophisticated air defense systems against the threat posed by Iran. Most of the missiles and drones were intercepted before they reached Israel’s borders because Israel and its allies were prepared for them. But make no mistake: this Iranian attack was meant to rain death and destruction on the people of Israel. If Israel doesn’t respond, it will open the door to further and more severe attacks by Iran, which has stated its desire and intention to destroy the Jewish state on numerous occasions. No other country would be asked to put up with that. Neither should Israel.

So, what’s next? I don’t know. I doubt the Israelis will just lay back and do nothing though. I can tell you what I’d do if I were in Bibi’s or IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi’s shoes. First up, I’d turn the Iranian spy ship in the Red Sea into a reef. I might then take a look at the Iranian oil terminals near Jask on the Gulf of Oman. But that’s me. . .