[🇮🇷] Breaking! Israel has attacked Iran. Live Coverage

[4MikeEcho]

Boy, lot of people saying Isra-heel actually don’t even got da means to retaliate against Iran. They fired a missile and it landed in western Iraq in a corn field and it didn’t even explode. Al-Gurdish dissidents flew 3 Walmart quad copters with fire crackers hanging underneath desperately tryin ta target some military warehouse in Isfahan and Irani AI/optical FLIR sentry’s shot dem down in two seconds…..😝

The emperor’s got no clothes!

What to do now?

I would be very careful of this mulsim gungho-ness that Iran is a superpower and Israel has nothing. This is the mindset that some had Hamas went in and first week of Israel's retaliation.

2million lives disrupted and all of Gaza decimated and most muslim loser nations either quiet or helpoing Israel.

If what you say is true, Iran would not have done a calculated strike and then called it quits.

I am not saying Israel cannot be challenged but to say they don't have the means is a joke

 

[ghazi]

[H3]Israel's Iran attack carefully calibrated after internal splits, US pressure[/H3]
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's war cabinet had initially approved plans for a strike on Monday night

Reuters
April 19, 2024

Iranians attend an anti-Israel rally in Tehran, Iran, April 19, 2024. PHOTO: REUTERS

Israel's apparent strike on Iran after days of vacillation was small and appeared calibrated to dial back risks of a major war, even if the sheer fact it happened at all shattered a taboo of direct attacks that Tehran broke days earlier.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's war cabinet had initially approved plans for a strike on Monday night inside Iranian territory to respond forcefully to last Saturday's missile and drones from Iran, but held back at the last minute, three sources with knowledge of the situation said.

By then, the sources said, the three voting members of the war cabinet had already ruled out the most drastic response - a strike on strategic sites including Iran's nuclear facilities whose destruction would almost certainly provoke a wider regional conflict.

Facing cabinet divisions and strong warnings from partners including the United States and in the Gulf not to escalate, and aware of the need to keep international opinion on Israel's side, the plans to hit back were then postponed twice, the sources said. Two war cabinet meetings were also delayed twice, government officials said.

Netanyahu's office did not respond to requests for comment for this story. Before the attack, a spokesperson for the government's National Public Diplomacy Directorate cited Netanyahu as saying Israel would defend itself in whatever way it judged appropriate.

Reuters spoke to a dozen sources in Israel, Iran and in the Gulf region, as well as the United States, who described six frantic days of efforts in the Gulf, the US and among some of Israel's war planners to limit the response to Iran's first-ever direct attack on its arch-rival after decades of shadow war.


"We warned against the grave danger inherent in further escalation," Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi told Reuters, saying a wider regional conflict would have catastrophic consequences and risked diverting global attention from Israel's ongoing war in Gaza.

Safadi said his country, which borders Israel, had "made it clear to all it will not be a battleground for Israel and Iran. This firm position was unequivocally delivered to all."

Most of the sources asked not to be named to speak about sensitive matters.

The eventual strike on Friday appeared to target an Iranian Air Force base near the city of Isfahan, deep inside the country and close enough to nuclear facilities to send a message of Israel's reach but without using airplanes, ballistic missiles, striking any strategic sites or causing major damage.

Iran said its defence systems shot down three drones over a base near Isfahan early on Friday. Israel said nothing about the incident. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States had not been involved in any offensive operations.




An Iranian official told Reuters there were signs the drones were launched from within Iran by "infiltrators," which could obviate the need for retaliation.

A source familiar with Western intelligence assessments of the incident also said initial evidence suggested Israel launched drones from inside Iranian territory. Iran's foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment.

"Israel tried to calibrate between the need to respond and a desire not to enter into a cycle of action and counter-reaction that would just escalate endlessly," said Itamar Rabinovich, a former Israeli ambassador to Washington.

He described the situation as a dance, with both parties signalling to each other their intentions and next steps.

"There is huge relief across the Gulf region. It looks like the attack was limited and proportionate and caused limited damage. I see it a de-escalation," veteran Saudi analyst Abdelrahman al-Rashed told Reuters.

Biden call

The decision to hold back from broader and immediate action this week underlined the competing pressures on Netanyahu's government in the aftermath of the more than 300 drones and ballistic and cruise missiles fired by Iran on Saturday night.

As Iran's barrage unfolded, two members of the war cabinet, Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot, both former armed forces commanders, wanted to respond straight away before agreeing to hold off following a call with US President Joe Biden and in the face of differing views from other ministers, two Israeli officials with knowledge of the situation said.

A spokesman for Gantz, a centrist who joined Netanyahu's emergency government following the Hamas-led attack on Israel last October, did not respond to a request for comment.

The US State Department declined to comment to questions about Israel's decision-making. Washington was working to de-escalate tensions, Blinken said on Friday. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Aryeh Deri, the head of one of the ultra-Orthodox parties in Netanyahu's coalition, who has observer status in the war cabinet and who has generally been wary of drastic moves, was firmly opposed to an immediate strike against Iran, which he believed could endanger the people of Israel given the risk of escalation, a spokesperson for his party said.

"We should also be listening to our partners, to our friends in the world. I say this clearly: I see no shame or weakness in doing so," Deri told the "Haderech" newspaper.

Israel's options ranged from strikes on strategic Iranian facilities, including nuclear sites or Revolutionary Guards bases, to covert operations, targeted assassinations and cyber attacks on strategic industrial plants and nuclear facilities, analysts and former officials in Israel have said.

Gulf countries had been increasingly worried the situation would spill into "a grave regional conflagration which might be beyond anyone's control or ability to contain," said Abdelaziz al-Sagher, head of the Saudi-based Gulf Research Centre.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates had publicly called for maximum "self-restraint" to spare the region from a wider war.

Sagher said Gulf countries had warned the United States of the risk of escalation, arguing Israel should conduct only a limited attack without casualties or significant damage that could provoke a major reprisal.

This messaging "was relayed forcefully" in the last few days by the Jordanians, Saudis, and Qataris through direct security and diplomatic channels, one senior regional intelligence source said.

The governments of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

By Thursday, four diplomatic and government sources in the region were expressing confidence that the response would be limited and proportionate.

Ahead of the overnight Israeli strike, one regional source, who had been briefed on Israel's thinking, said the response would aim to minimize or completely avoid casualties and was likely to target a military base.

Flying F-35 fighter jets from Israel to Iran, or launching missiles from Israel would almost certainly violate the airspace of neighbouring countries, angering Arab states who Netanyahu has long sought to cultivate as strategic allies, said a Gulf government source with knowledge of the issues.

He couldn't "just fly F-35 fighter jets across the region and bomb Iran or its nuclear sites," the source said.

Iranian officials had warned a major Israeli attack would trigger immediate retaliation.

Iran's options to respond included shutting down the Strait of Hormuz through which about a fifth of the world's oil passes, urging proxies to hit Israeli or US interests, and deploying previously unused missiles, a senior Iranian official said.

While satisfying Israel's moderates at home, its neighbours and international partners, the measured strike, when it came, was met with dismay from hardliners in Netanyahu's cabinet.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, whose ultranationalist party is a key prop in Netanyahu's coalition, posted a single word on X, "Feeble."

 

[Lulldapull]

I would be very careful of this mulsim gungho-ness that Iran is a superpower and Israel has nothing. This is the mindset that some had Hamas went in and first week of Israel's retaliation.

2million lives disrupted and all of Gaza decimated and most muslim loser nations either quiet or helpoing Israel.

If what you say is true, Iran would not have done a calculated strike and then called it quits.

I am not saying Israel cannot be challenged but to say they don't have the means is a joke

Yaar how would Isra-heel react? I don't even believe those Scalp copies the IDF operates got the range to make it to Iran from Isra-heel. Same same Dellilah mayzile. Honestly I also don't believe that they have enough Jericho IRBM's to make any diff. Eff-Sola/ Thurrtty Fav's don't got da range nor da corridor available and if they get shot down in large numbers, it will severely hurt not just LM but also dozens of US toady very hard. Mark my words, if Isra-heel backs down, it is confirming my suspicion dat Irani hamla last week has broken Isra-heels back. Isra-heel key saari hawa nikal gaee hae after that chappairr.

 

[ghazi]

 

[ghazi]

 

[Saif]

Tehran signals no retaliation against Israel after drones attack Iran

Explosions echoed over an Iranian city on Friday in what sources described as an Israeli attack, but Tehran played down the incident and indicated it had no plans for retaliation - a response that appeared gauged towards averting region-wide war.

www.thedailystar.net

Tehran signals no retaliation against Israel after drones attack Iran

Military personnel stand guard at a nuclear facility in the Zardanjan area of Isfahan, Iran, April 19, 2024, in this screengrab taken from video. Photo: Reuters

Explosions echoed over an Iranian city on Friday in what sources described as an Israeli attack, but Tehran played down the incident and indicated it had no plans for retaliation - a response that appeared gauged towards averting region-wide war.

The limited scale of the attack and Iran's muted response appeared to signal a successful effort by diplomats who have been working to avert all-out war since an Iranian drone and missile attack on Israel last Saturday.

Iranian media and officials described a small number of explosions, which they said resulted from air defences hitting three drones over the city of Isfahan in central Iran. Notably, they referred to the incident as an attack by "infiltrators", rather than by Israel, obviating the need for retaliation.

A senior Iranian official told Reuters there were no plans to respond against Israel for the incident.

"The foreign source of the incident has not been confirmed. We have not received any external attack, and the discussion leans more towards infiltration than attack," the official said.

Jonathan Lord, head of the Middle East security program at the Center for a New American Security, a U.S. think tank, said that "seems to indicate that Iran is seeking to step down off the ledge, minimise the impact of the attack, and perhaps walk back down the escalation ladder from here".

Israel said nothing about the incident and its ally Washington refused to be drawn. Asked about it repeatedly at a press conference in Italy, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he would not comment apart from to say that the United States was committed to Israel's security but not involved in any offensive operations.

Violence between Israel and Iranian proxies across the Middle East has intensified throughout six months of bloodshed in Gaza, raising fears the longstanding foes' shadow war could spiral into a direct conflict.

Israel had said it would retaliate after Saturday's strikes, the first ever direct attack on Israel by Iran, which caused no deaths after Israel and its allies shot down hundreds of missiles and drones.

Tehran launched those attacks in response to a presumed Israeli airstrike on April 1 that destroyed a building in Iran's embassy compound in Damascus and killed several Iranian officers including a top general.

CALLS FOR CALM

Allies including the United States had pressed all week to ensure any further retaliation would be calibrated not to provoke more escalation. The British and German foreign ministers visited Jerusalem this week, and Western countries tightened sanctions on Iran to mollify Israel.

There was no word from Israel on Friday as to whether further action might be planned. Apart from direct strikes on Iranian territory, it has other ways of attacking, including cyber attacks and strikes on Iranian proxies elsewhere.

In a sign of pressure within Israel's hard-right government for a stronger response, Itamar Ben Gvir, the far-right national security minister posted a single word on X after Friday's strikes: "Feeble".

Countries around the world called for calm.

"In light of reports of strikes on April 19th, we urge all parties to work to prevent further escalation," foreign ministers of the Group of Seven industrialised democracies said in a joint statement at the end of a meeting in Italy attended by Blinken.

They also called for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the release of hostages held there by Hamas, an influx of aid for civilians in Gaza, and for Israel to hold off from attacking Rafah, the last refuge for more than a million Gazans.

"It is absolutely necessary that the region remains stable and that all sides restrain from further action," European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen said. Similar calls came from Beijing, Moscow and Arab states in the region.

In financial markets, global shares eased, oil prices surged and U.S. bond yields fell as traders worried about the risks.

NO MENTION OF ISRAEL

In Iran, news reports on Friday's incident made no mention of Israel, and state television carried analysts and pundits who appeared dismissive about the scale. An analyst told state TV that mini drones flown by "infiltrators from inside Iran" had been shot down by air defences in Isfahan.

Shortly after midnight, "three drones were observed in the sky over Isfahan. The air defence system became active and destroyed these drones in the sky," Iranian state TV said.

Israeli media avoided quoting Israeli officials directly, instead referring to foreign media reports that cited Israeli sources as confirming Israel was behind the attacks.

Some Israelis suggested the aim was to demonstrate the capability to attack without causing harm. One newspaper likened it to a biblical story of the future King David snipping a piece from the robe of a foe when given a chance to kill him.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi had warned Israel before Friday's strike that Tehran would deliver a "severe response" to any attack on its territory.

Iran told the United Nations Security Council on Thursday that Israel "must be compelled to stop any further military adventurism against our interests" as the U.N. secretary-general warned that the Middle East was in a "moment of maximum peril".

By morning, Iran had reopened airports and airspace that were shut during the strikes.

Israel's assault on Gaza began after Hamas Islamists attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's military offensive has killed 34,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the Gazan health ministry.

Iran-backed groups have declared support for Palestinians, carrying out attacks from Lebanon, Yemen and Iraq, raising fears the Gaza conflict was growing into a wider regional war.

Meanwhile in the French capital Paris, police cordoned off the Iranian consulate, where a man was threatening to blow himself up, Europe 1 radio and BFM TV. Police were on the scene.​

 

[PakistanProud]

Contradictory statements regarding Iran responding to Israeli strikes:

 

[Saif]

Calls for calm after reported Israeli strike on Iran

World leaders appealed for calm Friday after reported Israeli retaliation against Iran added to months of tense spillover from the war in Gaza, with Iranian state media reporting explosions in a central province

www.thedailystar.net

Calls for calm after reported Israeli strike on Iran

Cars drive on a street, after a reported Israeli attack on Iran, in Isfahan Province, Iran April 19, 2024. Photo: Reuters/Rasoul Shojaie

World leaders appealed for calm Friday after reported Israeli retaliation against Iran added to months of tense spillover from the war in Gaza, with Iranian state media reporting explosions in a central province.

Israeli officials made no public comment on the attack and Iranian officials played down its significance.

But the spectre of direct hostilities between the Middle East arch-foes rattled world markets with prices of oil, gold and equities seesawing during the day.

A senior US Congressional source told AFP there had been retaliatory Israeli strikes but declined to provide any details, saying they were classified.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said the Israeli micro-drones used in the operation had caused no deaths or damage, dismissing it as a "desperate attempt to make a victory out of their repeated defeats".

Israel had warned it would hit back after Iran fired hundreds of missiles and drones at it almost a week ago, in retaliation for a deadly April 1 air strike -- widely blamed on Israel -- that levelled the Iranian consulate in Damascus and killed seven Revolutionary Guards.

Air defence systems over several cities were activated, official media reported, after state television said explosions were heard near Iran's third city of Isfahan.

An unidentified Israeli official told The Washington Post the "strike" was retaliation for Iran's drone and missile barrage and intended to signal Israel was able to hit inside Iran.

Iran's Tasnim news agency, citing "informed sources", denied that Iran had been attacked from outside.

"Contrary to the rumours and claims" made in foreign media, "there are no reports of an attack from abroad", Tasnim said.

Three Iranian officials told The New York Times that small drones carried out the "attack", possibly launched from inside Iran, and that radar had not detected unidentified aircraft entering Iranian airspace.

Fars news agency reported "three explosions" close to Qahjavarestan, near Isfahan airport and the 8th Shekari army airbase.

Iran's space agency spokesman Hossein Dalirian said there was "a failed and humiliating attempt to fly quadcopters, which were shot down".

There were "no reports of a missile attack", Dalirian said on social media platform X.

"Reports indicate there was no major damage or large explosions caused by the impact of any air threat," the official IRNA news agency said.

Nuclear sites undamaged

Iran's army commander-in-chief Abdolrahim Mousavi attributed Friday's explosions to "the firing of anti-aircraft defence systems on a suspicious object".

He said there was "no damage", according to Tasnim.

Nuclear facilities in Isfahan were reported to be "completely secure", Tasnim said, and the UN's atomic watchdog confirmed "no damage" to Iran's nuclear sites.

Washington received advance notice of Israel's reported strike, but did not endorse it or play any part in its execution, US media quoted officials as saying.

President Joe Biden had promised "ironclad" support for Israel, but also urged it to "think carefully and strategically" before launching a response against Iran that could trigger a wider war.

'Dangerous cycle of retaliation'

Last weekend Iran launched its first-ever attack directly targeting Israel.

With the help of the United States and other allies, Israel intercepted most of the more than 300 missiles and drones which Israel said Iran had launched. Minor damage and no deaths resulted.

Iran said its attack was in retaliation for the April 1 strike on its Damascus consulate which killed seven Revolutionary Guards, two of them generals.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been under international pressure over the civilian toll in Gaza's war, and an analyst said the consulate strike allowed Israel to take the focus off Gaza.

However, foreign ministers of the G7 group of developed economies, meeting in Italy on Friday, kept up that pressure.

The group said they opposed a "full-scale military operation in Rafah", where most of Gaza's population is sheltering, because it would have "catastrophic consequences" for civilians.

Alongside the Gaza war, violence involving Iran-backed groups has soared in the Middle East.

UN chief Antonio Guterres called for an end to "the dangerous cycle of retaliation", his spokesman said.

'Space to climb down'

Analysts said spiralling tit-for-tat violence could still be avoided, provided Iran continues to play down the reported Israeli strike and Israel takes no further action.

Dr Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa programme at Britain's Chatham House think tank, said the reported strike had been "calibrated to avoid damage and further Iranian aggression".

"As long as Iran continues to deny the attack and deflect attention from it and no further hits are seen, there is space for both sides to climb down the escalation ladder for now," he said.

Nomi Bar Yaacov, associate fellow of the think tank's international security programme, said the attack had been "carried out in a manner that will allow Iran to deny the attack and draw a line under it".

On Tehran's streets, some called for peace.

"We are against war," said Behrouz, 71, a retired firefighter who did not give his surname. "We are not happy with the killing of people, whether they are Iranians, Israelis or Gazans."

In Jerusalem, some called for tougher action against Iran.

"I think they need to strike very hard, not like that," said antique dealer Amitay Bendavid.

China, Iran's largest trade partner, said Friday it would "continue to play a constructive role to de-escalate" Middle East tensions.

Russia said it made clear to Israel that Iran "does not want escalation".

Before this month, Iran and Israel had engaged in a shadow war of sabotage and assassinations for years. Now, those hostilities are out in the open.​

 

[Lulldapull]

For anyone understanding our language:

Iran nay Isra-heel key kamar torr dee hae.

That Irani attack few days ago, the likes of which are truly unprecedented in modern military history has been a quiet acknowledgement of Irani military power by da west. Out of those 500 or so drones/ cruise n ballistic missiles, a good few dozen or so have successfully hit their targets (very accurately) in da most heavily defended hollywood fantasy world of Isra-heel, and now Isra-heel along with its western backers know that they bit on more than they could chew. Isra-heeli response to this massive irani attack is a big joke! It's pretty obvious that Isra-heel can't even retaliate, cuz it don't got da means to pull it off. What a disgrace Isra-heel is.

 

[Old School]

[h1]Israel Can't Afford Escalation With Iran and Gaza[/h1]S&P Global Ratings downgraded Israel's credit rating from 'AA-/A-1+' to 'A+/A-1' as its economy slowed and geopolitical risks increased, marking its latest demotion since Moody's rating relegation in February.
The Gaza war, amplified by the escalation in tensions between Tel Aviv and Tehran, has taken its toll on the Israeli economy since October 2023. In the fourth quarter of 2023, it contracted a whopping 20.7%, far exceeding the initial projection of a 10% slump. The nation's debt increased by $43 billion last year, $22 billion of which was accumulated since the beginning of the hostilities. Israel's national currency, the shekel, has depreciated by more than 4% against the dollar in 2024.

Israel Can't Afford Escalation With Iran and Gaza

The Gaza war and tensions with Iran have taken a toll on Israel's economy with major rating agencies having downgraded the Jewish state's rating by one notch warning that cuts may go deeper if ongoing conflicts escalate.

sputnikglobe.com

 

[Old School]

They did not provide the same about Iranian strikes on Israel. Satellite images exclusively obtained by CNN show a clear indication of the impact of Israel's overnight attack in Iran.

Video: Satellite images shows Israeli strike damage near Isfahan, Iran - CNN Video

Satellite images exclusively obtained by CNN show a clear indication of the impact of Israel's overnight attack in Iran, showing no extensive damage on an Iranian airbase believed to be the main target.

www.cnn.com

 

[Lulldapull]

[h1]Israel Can't Afford Escalation With Iran and Gaza[/h1]S&P Global Ratings downgraded Israel's credit rating from 'AA-/A-1+' to 'A+/A-1' as its economy slowed and geopolitical risks increased, marking its latest demotion since Moody's rating relegation in February.
The Gaza war, amplified by the escalation in tensions between Tel Aviv and Tehran, has taken its toll on the Israeli economy since October 2023. In the fourth quarter of 2023, it contracted a whopping 20.7%, far exceeding the initial projection of a 10% slump. The nation's debt increased by $43 billion last year, $22 billion of which was accumulated since the beginning of the hostilities. Israel's national currency, the shekel, has depreciated by more than 4% against the dollar in 2024.

Israel Can't Afford Escalation With Iran and Gaza

The Gaza war and tensions with Iran have taken a toll on Israel's economy with major rating agencies having downgraded the Jewish state's rating by one notch warning that cuts may go deeper if ongoing conflicts escalate.

sputnikglobe.com

Not being able to afford is absolutely correct. First thing is they don't even got da means to pull dis off, and secondly, the colored muzlim toady will die if Iran disrupts, let alone shuts down da hormuz. The whole convert muzlim house of cards will collapse in a mess. Like when I build up a house of cards and my cat being badmash attacks it just outta spite. 😛

 

[Saif]

It's clear Israel is following "Hold me back Bro" principle to save face at this time...very wise for the Iranians not to respond.

Iranians are smart people and they will not step into Israeli trap for sure.

 

[Lulldapull]

Guys what if da US has covertly decided to sell Isra-heel to da Irani's behind da curtains, unbeknownst ta us? I mean wtf aik Jericho mayzile thaa Israheel de paas, aur jungli khotay netanyahu nay uss ko ve chala diya?......Bewquff insaan has nothing left to retaliate with now?.....Is our Munira watching all dis drama intently and learning something? Good ghaad our bewaquff jharrnail better be learnin a thing or two from dis isra-heel/ irani turani drama.

 

[4MikeEcho]

Yaar how would Isra-heel react? I don't even believe those Scalp copies the IDF operates got the range to make it to Iran from Isra-heel. Same same Dellilah mayzile. Honestly I also don't believe that they have enough Jericho IRBM's to make any diff. Eff-Sola/ Thurrtty Fav's don't got da range nor da corridor available and if they get shot down in large numbers, it will severely hurt not just LM but also dozens of US toady very hard. Mark my words, if Isra-heel backs down, it is confirming my suspicion dat Irani hamla last week has broken Isra-heels back. Isra-heel key saari hawa nikal gaee hae after that chappairr.

Can you pls write full sentences in correct english like the 99% of the forum members. Its impossible to dialogue with you when you deliberately misspell words. It takes away from the intellectual arguments you make. I may not agree with them but I like seeing your perspective.