New Warning For Israel By Iran: Sources claimed that Israel was behind Friday’s explosions above an Iranian city, but Tehran downplayed the event and maintained it had no intentions to retaliate, appearing to be aimed at preventing a regional conflict.
The sources claimed that Israel had launched the drones at the city of Isfahan, but Iran’s foreign minister described them as “mini-drones” and claimed that no harm or injuries had been inflicted.
Following an Iranian drone and missile strike on Israel on Saturday, diplomats have been trying to prevent all-out war; the attack’s restricted scope and Iran’s subdued response seem to indicate that their efforts have been successful.
Iranian officials and media reported on a few explosions, claiming that they were caused by air defenses striking three drones above the central Iranian city of Isfahan. Retaliation was not necessary since they described the incident as an attack by “infiltrators” rather than by Israel.
There were no intentions to take action against Israel in response to the event, a senior Iranian official told Reuters.
“There is no proof that the incident originated abroad. The conversation is more about infiltration than attack, and we have not received any foreign attacks,” the official stated.
Hossein Amirabdollahian, the foreign minister of Iran, was likewise circumspect when speaking with Muslim envoys in New York.
Iranian media cited Amirabdollahian as stating, “The Zionist regime’s (Israel’s) media supporters, in a desperate attempt, tried to make victory out of their defeat, while the downed mini-drones have not caused any damage or casualties.”
Washington, an ally of Israel, declined to be drawn into the event and said nothing about it.
At a news conference in Italy, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was repeatedly asked about it and stated he would not comment other than to state that while the US was committed to Israel’s security, it was not engaged in any aggressive actions.
In addition, the White House remained silent, which was unusual for an administration that frequently offers commentary on the most recent developments in the Israeli-Palestinian issue.
On Friday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had a conversation with his Israeli colleague. Iran was not specifically mentioned in a Pentagon statement, but it did state that the two talked about “efforts to maintain regional stability.”
After six months of carnage in Gaza, violence between Israel and Iranian proxies across the Middle East has escalated, sparking concerns that the long-running rivals’ shadow war may turn into a direct confrontation.
After Israel and its allies shot down hundreds of missiles and drones on Saturday, Iran launched its first-ever direct attack on Israel. Israel had warned that it would reply. No one was killed in the incident.
Following an alleged Israeli bombing on April 1 that destroyed a building in Iran’s embassy compound in Damascus and killed multiple Iranian personnel, including a top general, Tehran launched those attacks.
Itamar Rabinovich, a former Israeli ambassador to Washington, stated that “Israel tried to calibrate between the need to respond and a desire not to enter into a cycle of action and counter reaction that would just escalate endlessly.”