Iran launched a drone and missile attack on Israel in retaliation for the deadly attack on the Iranian consulate in the Syrian capital, Damascus. Israel is believed to be behind the attack, though it has not claimed responsibility for the attack on the consulate.
This is the first time Iran has directly attacked Israel.
Before that, however, they were engaged in a shadow war. Both countries attacked each other's resources without accepting responsibility. These attacks have intensified since the start of the war in Gaza. Iran and Israel, who once had good relations, have become a matter of concern for the entire world.
There are several factors behind the current situation. Such as the relationship between the two countries, Iran's allies in the Middle East and Israel's equation with them, the relationship of the two countries with other powerful countries in the world, including various issues.
Who are Iran's allies in the Middle East?
Iran has built a network of allies and proxy forces in the Middle East. They claim it is part of an 'axis of resistance' formed to challenge US and Israeli interests in the region. This network supports Iran in various ways.
Meanwhile, among Iran's allies, Syria is the most notable. Along with Russia, Iran has helped prop up the Bashar al-Assad regime amid a decade-long civil war there.
The most powerful of the Iranian-backed armed groups is Lebanon's Hezbollah. Since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, their cross-border shelling with Israel has been going on almost daily. Thousands of civilians have been forced to leave their homes on both sides of the border.
Iran supports several Shiite militia groups. These groups have launched rocket attacks on US bases in Syria and Jordan. The US was seen responding to the death of three US soldiers stationed at a military post in Jordan.
Iran supports Houthi movement in Yemen. who control the country's most populous region.
Incidentally, the Houthis have fired missiles and drones at Israel to show their support for Hamas in Gaza. Not only that, it also attacked commercial ships near the coast and sank at least one ship. The United States and the United Kingdom retaliated. They attacked the Houthis.
Iran arms and trains Palestinian armed groups, including Hamas. Hamas launched an attack on Israel on October 7 last year that triggered the war in Gaza. It has also created conflict in the wider Middle East involving Iran, its proxies and Israel's allies. However, Iran has denied any role in the October 7 attacks.
Iran-Israel enmity why?
The two countries were allies until the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran. Then came a regime in Iran that used opposition to Israel as an important part of its ideology.
Iran does not want to recognize Israel's right to exist. On the contrary, it wants to eliminate them.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei previously described Israel as a 'cancerous tumor'. At the same time, he said that country should be "eliminated and destroyed without a doubt".
Israel considers Iran a major threat to its existence. This is evidenced by Tehran's rhetoric, its creation of proxy forces determined to destroy Israel, its funding and arming of armed Palestinian groups including Hamas and the Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah, and above all its stealthy attempts to become Iran's bulwark with nuclear weapons. Iran, however, has denied that it is trying to build a nuclear bomb.
Iran wanted to take revenge
Iran announced the reason for the aerial bombing of Israel last Saturday night. They claim that this attack is in response to the death of their (Iranian) senior commanders in an airstrike on the Iranian consulate building in Damascus, the capital of Syria, on April 1.
Iran accuses Israel of violating its sovereignty by carrying out airstrikes. However, Israel has denied the attack. However, they are believed to be behind the attack.
A total of 13 people died in this aerial attack. Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, the senior commander of Quds Force, the foreign wing of Iran's elite Republican Guard (IRGC), was also among the dead.
Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi was one of those who played a role in providing weapons to the Lebanese Shia armed group Hezbollah on behalf of Iran.
The attack on the Iranian consulate building in Syria followed a certain 'pattern'. As seen during Israel's attacks targeting Iran. Several senior IRGC commanders have been killed in airstrikes in Syria in recent months.
Iran supplies arms and equipment, including high-powered missiles, to Hezbollah through Syria. Israel wants to stop this supply. In addition to this, they also want to ensure that Iran cannot maintain a strong military presence in Syria.
Iran and Israel have nuclear weapons?
Israel is believed to have nuclear weapons of its own, although it officially maintains a policy of keeping this secret. Iran does not have nuclear weapons. And they deny trying to use a civilian nuclear program to become a nuclear-weapon state.
However, last year the World Atomic Energy Agency found 83.7 percent pure uranium particles at Iran's underground Fordo site, which is very close to 'weapon grade' (weapons-grade nuclear material). Iran, however, has claimed that there may have been 'unintended fluctuations' in the level of uranium enrichment.
Iran has been openly enriching uranium to 60 percent pure for more than two years, in violation of the 2015 nuclear deal signed with world powers.
However, it fell apart after former US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the deal and reimposed sanctions on Iran in 2018. Incidentally, Israel initially opposed the nuclear deal.
What message does Iran want to send through the attack?
"We resisted. We resisted. At the same time we will win," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assessed the matter. But Tom Fletcher, foreign policy adviser to several UK prime ministers and former UK ambassador to Lebanon, said Iran's missile strikes were a 'signal of its capabilities and reach' which was 'frightening'.
At the same time, he warned that the leaders of Iran and Israel "are under pressure at home, facing international criticism and are clearly ready to play with fire."
He compared the attack to the exchange of fire he witnessed when he was ambassador to Lebanon, saying "Iran had telegraphed the attack in advance, which made it easier to deter" and that the "purpose was to demonstrate capability but not to escalate the issue."
He also said it was "positive" that Iran chose to respond directly rather than through Hezbollah.
On the other hand, many in Israel have called on the military to escalate the conflict to remove Lebanese armed groups from the border.
"This is the first time Iran has directly violated Israel's sovereignty," said Sanam Vakil of the Chatham House think tank.
“This attack was clearly a carefully measured attack targeting military installations. And it was ensured that the attack did not cause too much damage, or that no one was injured.”
Meanwhile, among Iran's allies, Syria is the most notable. Along with Russia, Iran has helped prop up the Bashar al-Assad regime amid a decade-long civil war there.
The most powerful of the Iranian-backed armed groups is Lebanon's Hezbollah. Since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, their cross-border shelling with Israel has been going on almost daily. Thousands of civilians have been forced to leave their homes on both sides of the border.
Iran supports several Shiite militia groups. These groups have launched rocket attacks on US bases in Syria and Jordan. The US was seen responding to the death of three US soldiers stationed at a military post in Jordan.
Iran supports Houthi movement in Yemen. who control the country's most populous region.
Incidentally, the Houthis have fired missiles and drones at Israel to show their support for Hamas in Gaza. Not only that, it also attacked commercial ships near the coast and sank at least one ship. The United States and the United Kingdom retaliated. They attacked the Houthis.
Iran arms and trains Palestinian armed groups, including Hamas. Hamas launched an attack on Israel on October 7 last year that triggered the war in Gaza. It has also created conflict in the wider Middle East involving Iran, its proxies and Israel's allies. However, Iran has denied any role in the October 7 attacks.
Iran-Israel enmity why?
The two countries were allies until the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran. Then came a regime in Iran that used opposition to Israel as an important part of its ideology.
Iran does not want to recognize Israel's right to exist. On the contrary, it wants to eliminate them.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei previously described Israel as a 'cancerous tumor'. At the same time, he said that country should be "eliminated and destroyed without a doubt".
Israel considers Iran a major threat to its existence. This is evidenced by Tehran's rhetoric, its creation of proxy forces determined to destroy Israel, its funding and arming of armed Palestinian groups including Hamas and the Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah, and above all its stealthy attempts to become Iran's bulwark with nuclear weapons. Iran, however, has denied that it is trying to build a nuclear bomb.
Iran wanted to take revenge
Iran announced the reason for the aerial bombing of Israel last Saturday night. They claim that this attack is in response to the death of their (Iranian) senior commanders in an airstrike on the Iranian consulate building in Damascus, the capital of Syria, on April 1.
Iran accuses Israel of violating its sovereignty by carrying out airstrikes. However, Israel has denied the attack. However, they are believed to be behind the attack.
A total of 13 people died in this aerial attack. Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, the senior commander of Quds Force, the foreign wing of Iran's elite Republican Guard (IRGC), was also among the dead.
Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi was one of those who played a role in providing weapons to the Lebanese Shia armed group Hezbollah on behalf of Iran.
The attack on the Iranian consulate building in Syria followed a certain 'pattern'. As seen during Israel's attacks targeting Iran. Several senior IRGC commanders have been killed in airstrikes in Syria in recent months.
Iran supplies arms and equipment, including high-powered missiles, to Hezbollah through Syria. Israel wants to stop this supply. In addition to this, they also want to ensure that Iran cannot maintain a strong military presence in Syria.
Iran and Israel have nuclear weapons?
Israel is believed to have nuclear weapons of its own, although it officially maintains a policy of keeping this secret. Iran does not have nuclear weapons. And they deny trying to use a civilian nuclear program to become a nuclear-weapon state.
However, last year the World Atomic Energy Agency found 83.7 percent pure uranium particles at Iran's underground Fordo site, which is very close to 'weapon grade' (weapons-grade nuclear material). Iran, however, has claimed that there may have been 'unintended fluctuations' in the level of uranium enrichment.
Iran has been openly enriching uranium to 60 percent pure for more than two years, in violation of the 2015 nuclear deal signed with world powers.
However, it fell apart after former US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the deal and reimposed sanctions on Iran in 2018. Incidentally, Israel initially opposed the nuclear deal.
What message does Iran want to send through the attack?
"We resisted. We resisted. At the same time we will win," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assessed the matter. But Tom Fletcher, foreign policy adviser to several UK prime ministers and former UK ambassador to Lebanon, said Iran's missile strikes were a 'signal of its capabilities and reach' which was 'frightening'.
At the same time, he warned that the leaders of Iran and Israel "are under pressure at home, facing international criticism and are clearly ready to play with fire."
He compared the attack to the exchange of fire he witnessed when he was ambassador to Lebanon, saying "Iran had telegraphed the attack in advance, which made it easier to deter" and that the "purpose was to demonstrate capability but not to escalate the issue."
He also said it was "positive" that Iran chose to respond directly rather than through Hezbollah.
On the other hand, many in Israel have called on the military to escalate the conflict to remove Lebanese armed groups from the border.
"This is the first time Iran has directly violated Israel's sovereignty," said Sanam Vakil of the Chatham House think tank.
“This attack was clearly a carefully measured attack targeting military installations. And it was ensured that the attack did not cause too much damage, or that no one was injured.”
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