Wilfried Devillers (special correspondent in Tel Aviv, Israel) / Photo credits: FATEMEH BAHRAMI / ANADOLU / ANADOLU VIA AFP
After the explosions heard in central Iran, the international community fears military escalation in the Middle East. Tehran does not accuse Israel directly. The Jewish state remains silent but could be behind the attack. If these explosions are claimed, it could be a new level reached between the two regional enemies.
Loud explosions were reported early Friday in central Iran, with senior U.S. officials saying an Israeli attack was in retaliation for unprecedented drone and missile strikes against Israel last weekend. But since then, radio silence. Whether on the side of the Israeli government or the army, it now appears unlikely, in fact, that Israel will officially claim this strike in central Iran.
Usual strategy
This is also a usual operation for the Hebrew State. In early April, a strike against the Iranian consulate in Damascus was never clearly claimed. It is the latter, however, which led to this escalation, the one that we have been experiencing for a week between Tehran and Jerusalem. Concerning the attack on Friday morning in Iran, you only need to read the Israeli press and talk to Israelis to understand that if it is not official, public opinion widely considers that last night’s attack in Iran is indeed Israeli.
A renewed tension which also opens a new page in diplomacy in the Middle East. Because this is the first time that the two countries have carried out direct attacks on their soil, more accustomed to a shadow war than to a more open conflict. The minimal strikes above Isfahan on Friday morning above all allowed Israel to restore a form of deterrence without taking the risk of a regional war. Especially since the attack comes a few days before Pessah, the Jewish Passover, the most important holiday of the year in Israel.