Israel Strikes Iran on Ayatollah’s Birthday: US Confirms Airstrike

Israel, which had threatened “painful retaliation” after receiving its first ever attack on its homeland from Iran on the 13th (local time), struck Iran early in the morning of the 19th. Today is the 85th birthday of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran and the ‘longest ruler’ in the Middle East who has served since 1989. It was explained that the intention was to weaken Iran mentally by telling him that the heart of Iran’s power is at the heart of Israel.

The United States confirmed the Israeli airstrike through the media, but neither Israel nor Iran issued an official response. It has been analyzed that the two countries are trying to avoid external conflicts, but there are also opinions that tensions could increase by exchanging attacks and counter-effects could lead to a disaster.

● US “Israeli missile hits Iranian target”

Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency reported that three explosions were heard around the military airport northwest of Isfahan, Iran. According to Iran’s IRNA news agency, air defense bombing was carried out at the main air force base where F-14 Tomcat fighter jets imported from the United States were deployed before the Revolution Islamic in 1979.

It is not known how much damage was done from this airfield. The Fars News Agency only reported that “it was something that could be targeted by a military radar” and that “the windows of several office buildings in the area were broken.” A senior US official explained to CNN, “Israel avoided targeting civilians and nuclear facilities and military facilities.”

This attack occurred after Israel bombed the Iranian consulate in Syria on the 1st and Iran retaliated for its first ever attack on mainland Israel on the 13th. Bloomberg News pointed out that Isfahan was one of the locations used by Iran as a missile launch site during the airstrike on the 13th. This suggests that Israel may have hit the source of the Iranian attack.

The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office refused to answer questions about whether Israel was behind the Isfahan attack, the Times of Israel daily reported. However, the US NBC broadcast cited a source and said, “Israeli authorities are assessing the extent of the damage done by Iran.”

Iranian authorities even seemed to downplay the reality of the attack. Hossein Dalian, a spokesman for Iran’s National Aeronautics and Space Administration, said on social media He then said, “Three unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) came in, but the air defense network shot them down to successful,” adding, “The enemy’s operations ended in humiliating failure.”

Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB also released a news video of a broadcaster on top of a building in Isfahan saying, “The city is safe and people are living normally. ” Iranian state TV and others denied that Iran had been attacked outside its borders. Bloomberg News analyzed, “It may be a matter of pride to minimize the extent of external attacks on Iran. “

● “Iran’s next response cannot be predicted.”

The eyes of the international community are focused on whether the war of revenge between the two countries will continue or whether it will end here. First, top officials in Iran and Israel are showing moves to minimize the impact of this event. Foreign media outlets are also evaluating this attack as ‘limited revenge’. The New York Times analyzed, “The initial quiet response to the attack suggests that Iran and Israel want to avoid escalation.” ” Retired US Army Major General Mark McCauley told CNN that Israel was sending a ‘calculated message’ to Iran telling them not to attack again.

But the attack came just hours after Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian told CNN that Israel would respond “immediately and at the highest level” if they take further military action against Iran. Furthermore, after the attack, there was even criticism in Israel that ‘the intensity of the revenge was weak.’ Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gbir commented on X that day, saying, “(Revenge) was weak.” That’s why there is speculation that this attack may not be the end of the war of revenge between the two countries.

In particular, if the specific scale and background of the damage is revealed, the possibility that it could escalate to an external war cannot be ruled out. Concerns arose in the international community. The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, confirmed, “Every step must be taken to prevent the escalation of the conflict. ” The day before, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged “maximum restraint,” saying, “One miscalculation, misunderstanding or mistake can lead to an unthinkable situation.”

Reporter Hong Jeong-su hong@donga.com
Paris = Journalist Jo Eun-ah achim@donga.com