Iran and Israel have long used other actors to challenge each other. On April 1, the conflict between the countries escalated when Israel attacked Iran's consulate in Syria, which prompted en Iranian attack on Israel and later an Israeli response. The development magazine finds out what has happened in the escalating conflict between the two countries.
Iran and Israel have long been involved in a so-called proxy war, where the countries have used other actors to carry out different actions. In this way, they have also been able to deny responsibility for these actions. For example, Iran has used terrorist-branded violent groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah to provoke and attack Israel. It also has speculated that Israel allegedly killed Iranian scientists and carried out cyber attacks against Iran.
Iran and Israel have previously been allies, but after the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979, Israel became a threat to the new Iranian ideology. Israel sees Iran as a threat to its security and has long accused Iran of producing nuclear weapons - which Iran denies.
Escalation of the conflict
On April 1, the countries' long-running conflict reached a new level when Israel carried out a air raid against the Iranian consulate in the Syrian capital Damascus. 13 people, including high-ranking Iranian general Mohammed Zahedi, died in the attack. According to the Israeli defense spokesperson Rear Adm their intelligence believed the building was not a consulate but a military building. The aim of the attack is said to have been to stop arms deliveries from Syria to Hezbollah and to prevent Iran's increasing military presence in Syria, according to the BBC.
Between April 1 and 13 did Iranian state representatives several statements arguing for revenge and threatening a potential attack on Israel and US military bases. Late at night on April 13, Iran fired hundreds of missiles and drones at several cities in Israel, including Tel Aviv. Several of the missiles and drones were stopped by the US, England and France.
UN: s Secretary-General António Guterres held an emergency meeting of the Security Council on April 14 and called for a de-escalation of violence to avoid a full-scale conflict between Iran and Israel. US President Joe Biden has warned Israel not to participate in a potential revenge attack against Iran, stressing that the US does not want to see an escalated conflict in the region.
On Friday, April 19, the United States confirmed that Israel had attacked Isfahan in Iran. The city is associated with Iran's nuclear weapons program - which Iran itself denies, however - and is close to an air base. The extent of the attack has not yet been determined. Israel has not commented on the attack, but Iran chose to downplay its significance.
- The media supporters of the Zionist regime (Israel) desperately tried to profit from their defeat, despite the fact that the downed mini-drones did not cause any injuries or casualties, commented Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian.
On the same day of the attack, a senior Iranian official stated that they currently have no plans for an immediate response. Several experts believes that neither Iran nor Israel wants to escalate the situation. It remains to be seen what the next step will be in the conflict between the countries.