U.S. and Israeli media have revealed that Iran launched over 330 drones and missiles at Israel during its "Iranian response" to the Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus earlier. The American newspaper "The New York Times" quoted Israeli officials as saying that in the attack, Iran fired 185 drones, 36 cruise missiles, and 110 ground-to-ground missiles, with the Iranian assault lasting about 5 hours. Israeli media confirmed these figures.
**Questions Arise**
This large-scale attack did not cause damage on the ground, neither to infrastructure nor to Israeli military or even civilian sites, raising several questions about the type of missiles used and whether they carried explosives or were merely dummies. Additionally, there has been speculation about a possible "American indifference" to this response, meaning that Washington could have issued a decisive warning to Tehran, similar to their actions after the assassination of Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad, advising against a wide-ranging response, but chose not to do so.
**Adhering to Rules**
Did Washington intend to send Netanyahu a message to "adhere to the established rules," especially since he did not inform the U.S. administration in advance about the "strike on the consulate"? In this context, Biden has conveyed two messages: one to Iran, indicating neutrality in line with established rules and operations, while keeping the door open for security communication; and another specifically to Israel and Netanyahu, emphasizing that Washington is the one protecting Israel, not any prime minister within the entity.
**The Iraqi Role**
Media sources delve deeper into Iraq's role and whether the visit of the Iraqi Prime Minister to Washington contributed to formulating a limited response, targeting specific sites where losses would be minimal, preserving Iran's "face" in front of its regional arms. Supporting this scenario, a source told "Sky News Arabia" that the United States had prior knowledge of the timing of Iran's response to Israel's targeting of the Iranian consulate in Damascus, along with information about the locations of Iranian missiles and drones since Saturday morning.
The source added that several countries in the region advised the U.S. to persuade Israel not to respond to the Iranian attack. He indicated that Washington provided its intelligence to Israel and several allied nations, noting that the U.S. is significantly concerned about Israel's potential response to Iran and the escalation of conditions in the region.
Thus, the scenario of assassinations recurring, and the subsequent weak responses, mirrors previous instances with Lebanon and Syria, and now with Iran. The rules are clear... only Washington pivots the corners in the region.
