Still Skeptical
“Iran Warns It Will Retaliate for Israel’s Attack”
“Comments by a top military official raise the risk of further escalation between the two foes”
“Iran is signaling it will respond to last weekend’s Israeli strikes on its soil, a move that would extend the cycle of violence between the two enemies and risk dragging the Middle East into a wider war.
Iran initially played down Saturday’s strike, which Israel aimed to calibrate to close out a series of direct attacks this year by the two sides. But the nature of the attack, which damaged Tehran’s most advanced air defenses and killed four soldiers, is now prompting more definitive talk of an Iranian retaliation.
“We will give an unimaginable response to the enemy,” Gen. Hossein Salami, the head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said Thursday after days of bellicose statements by senior Iranian officials. “
“Iran preparing major retaliatory strike from Iraq within days, Israeli intel suggests”
“Israeli intelligence suggests Iran is preparing to attack Israel from Iraqi territory in the coming days, possibly before the U.S. presidential election, two Israeli sources tell Axios.
Why it matters: Israel and Iran have been engaged in an escalating tit-for-tat for weeks. Carrying the attack out through pro-Iranian militias in Iraq and not directly from Iranian territory could be an attempt by Iran to avoid another Israeli attack against strategic targets in Iran.
Driving the news: The sources said Israeli intelligence suggests the attack is expected to be carried out from Iraq using a large number of drones and ballistic missiles.
Iran could quickly put its preparations into action if Tehran decides to strike soon, but the U.S. doesn’t know if that decision has been made, a U.S. official told Axios.
What they’re saying: Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Hossein Salami said on Thursday that Israel made a mistake when it attacked Iran last week and stressed that Iran’s response will be “different from any scenario” Israel might expect.
A high-ranking Iranian source told CNN that Iran is planning a “definitive and painful” response that will likely come before the election, the network reported Wednesday.
Mohammad Mohammadi Golpayegani, chief of staff to Iran’s supreme leader, told TV network al-Mayadeen on Thursday Iranian retaliation was “certain.” He said the Iranian response will be “strong” and will “make our enemy regret” its attack.”