2 November 2024

Iran reacts to Israel’s direct retaliation - Analysis

Behnam Ben Taleblu

Once again, in 2024, history was made in the Middle East.

On October 25, Israel took credit for a long-expected military retaliation against the Islamic Republic of Iran. The attack reportedly involved over 100 planes striking 20 targets in three separate waves. In so doing, it constituted the first-ever direct and overt Israeli strike against Iranian military sites. (Note: Israel had not publicized or claimed an earlier attack against an Iranian radar installation on April 19, which was in response to Iran’s first drone and missile salvo at Israel earlier that month).

Iran’s official response in the first few hours amounted to shrugging its shoulders, attempting to spin defeat as victory and downplay the strikes. “The skies are in Iran’s fist,” declared Shargh, a reformist daily newspaper, in a large headline above the fold. “Iran’s defenses are superior to Iron Dome,” bragged the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA). “The false-promise of the Zionists,” proclaimed Resalat, a Tehran daily newspaper, in an apparent reference to the operation name (True Promise 1 and 2) of Iran’s April and October missile attacks against Israel.


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