After a deadly raid against this Iranian diplomatic building in Syria on April 1, for which Israel did not take responsibility, Tehran promised to retaliate. The United States, in particular, confirmed the threat and “warned Iran”.
Israel is on alert. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant spoke, Thursday April 11, the risk of a “direct attack on Iran” against the Jewish state, which “would impose an appropriate Israeli response.”, he informed his American counterpart, Lloyd Austin, according to an Israeli press release. This Iranian threat, confirmed by Joe Biden on Wednesday, has been hovering for ten days and a deadly strike against an Iranian diplomatic building in Syria, which Tehran attributes to the Israeli army.
Since the October 7 attacks perpetrated by Hamas, the Israeli army has been carrying out a military operation in the Gaza Strip, with the declared objective of destroying the Palestinian movement supported by Iran. Other groups close to Tehran have already targeted Israel since then, including Yemen’s Houthi rebels and Lebanese Hezbollah.
“Due to recent developments”, Washington rushed a long-planned visit to Israel by its general in charge of the Middle East. Franceinfo tells you how tension has risen over the days, and has raised fears of an escalation between Iran and Israel, its sworn enemy in the region.
1 Iran accuses Israel of attack on its consulate in Syria, threatens
On April 2, the day after an air raid against the consulate and the residence of the Iranian ambassador in Damascus, Tehran accused Israel of having carried out the strike, which cost the lives of 16 people, including seven members of the Guards. the Islamic revolution. “This cowardly crime will not go unanswered”warns Iranian President Ebrahim Raïssi. “The evil Zionist regime will be punished by our brave men”engages the Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“We will make him regret this crime and the others.”
Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader of Iranin a press release
In the past, many Iranian military officials have been targeted by attacks blamed on Israel in Syria, notably in December and January. But this is the first time that a diplomatic building of Iran, whose regime supports Palestinian Hamas and Lebanese Hezbollah, has been targeted in Syria. Israel will be “slap” for this action, reaffirms the Ayatollah on April 3.
2 Israel strengthens its defense measures
On April 4, after a “situation assessment”the Israeli army decides “to increase manpower and call on reservists for the air defense network.” Soldiers’ leave is suspended and GPS jamming is implemented in certain locations to defend the country against guided weapons, such as missiles or drones. “We have increased the vigilance of combat units, where necessary.”adds the Tsahal, saying it has aircraft “ready to attack according to different scenarios”.
Despite these preparations, the Israeli army, which rarely comments on its strikes in Syria, has not confirmed its responsibility for the attack on Damascus. The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is more explicit. “Israel acts against Iran and its agents defensively and offensively”he claims. “We will know how to defend ourselves, and we will act on the simple principle that whoever harms us or plans to harm us, we harm them too.”
3 Hezbollah considers Iran’s response “inevitable”
“Be sure and certain that the Iranian response to the strike on the consulate in Damascus is inevitable”declared the leader of Lebanese Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, on April 5, in a televised speech. “Where, how, when and how big the response will be, we are not required to ask”adds the leader of the allied movement of Iran and Hamas, believing that the decision belongs to Tehran. “Let no one be in a hurry”he says, describing the attack on Damascus as “turning” in the war triggered by the Hamas attacks in Israel on October 7, since which its movement exchanged daily fire with the Israeli army on the Lebanese border.
4 Iran warns that ‘no Israeli embassy is safe anymore’
On April 6, Tehran reaffirms its commitment to retaliate. “The operation will be carried out at the right time, with the necessary precision and planning, and with maximum damage to the enemy so that he regrets his action”assures the chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces, General Mohammad Bagheri. “We determine the time of the operation, the type of operation and the plan of the operation”. The next day, a personal military advisor to the Iranian Supreme Leader declared that“no Israeli embassy is safe anymore”.
5 The international community calls for “restraint”
Wednesday, faced with the threat of “major attack” of Iran against Israel, the President of the United States, Joe Biden, reaffirms his commitment “unshakeable” for the security of the Jewish state. The next day, the White House declared that it had “warned Iran”after Tehran notably pointed out a “responsibility” indirect influence from Washington in the attack on Damascus. At the same time, American diplomacy is turning to China, Turkey and Saudi Arabia so that they “encourage Iran not to undertake an escalation”.
For its part, Russia calls on Iran and Israel to “detention” to avoid any “destabilization” additional to the region. “All actors in the region are now called upon to act responsibly and exercise restraint”Germany abounds.
6 Several countries are taking precautions for their nationals
On Thursday, the American Embassy in Israel decided to limit the movement of its personnel in the country. “As a precaution, U.S. government employees and their family members are not permitted to travel outside the Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Beersheba areas until further notice,” she reports in a “security alert” on its site, while specifying that transit trips between these three places remain possible at this stage.
The day before, Berlin’s concern was materialized by the suspension of flights by the airline Lufthansa to and from Tehran, which has since been extended until Saturday. On Friday, it was France, through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which “recommends that the French absolutely refrain from traveling in the coming days to Iran, Lebanon, Israel and the Palestinian territories”.
According to sources “relatives” of American intelligence, cited by the Bloomberg agency on Wednesday, Iran and its allies could seek to attack Israeli military and government installations “in the coming days”. An alert that is difficult to verify. But, through these leaks of information to the press, “The United States wants to send a clear message that it still remains an important supporter of Israel” And “tell the Israelis that it is in their interest to listen to American advice in managing the war in Gaza”analyzes Hasni Abidi, director of the Center for Studies and Research on the Arab and Mediterranean World, on France Culture.