Attack scenario on Israel
Iran wants to retaliate, but according to insiders, it wants to be controlled
April 11, 2024, 10:42 p.m
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International diplomatic efforts may have been fruitful. For days after an attack on one of its embassies, Tehran made it clear that it wanted to retaliate. According to insiders, Iran’s leadership could at least not plan a direct strike against Israel.
Iran wants to avoid an uncontrollable escalation of the conflict with Israel with the announced retaliation for the attack on its embassy in Damascus. Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian signaled this during a visit to the Gulf state of Oman on Sunday, according to Iranian circles familiar with the events. In the past, Oman has often acted as an intermediary between the governments in Tehran and Washington. A US government spokesman and the Iranian Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the reports.
According to information from Iranian circles, Amirabdollahian has also signaled a willingness to de-escalate if certain demands are met. This includes a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. However, Israel rejects this as long as Hamas, which is allied with Iran, is not completely destroyed. An insider close to the US intelligence community told Reuters that Iran had made it “very clear” that its response to the attack on its embassy would be limited and not escalating. Accordingly, the Islamic Republic plans to use “regional proxies” for a series of attacks on Israel.
A senior general in the Revolutionary Guard and six other military officers were killed in the attack on the embassy compound in Damascus on April 1st. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei recently called for Israel to be punished. Embassies are exempt from attacks under international rules. The UN and the EU condemned the attack. Iran accuses Israel of carrying out the airstrike. Israel has not confirmed this. However, the US Department of Defense assumes this.