(StraightNews.org) – CIA Director William Burns has described Iran’s attack on Israel as a “spectacular failure.” Speaking at the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, he said the attack demonstrated Israel’s military strength and its close alliance with the United States and other Western nations.
Mr. Burns noted that Iran fired approximately 330 drones and missiles at Israel, with only “four or five” reaching Israeli territory. Even those that landed inflicted minor damage, he added.
Iran unleashed the missiles on Israel over the weekend of April 13 in retaliation for an Israeli strike on its consulate in Syria, which killed two senior Iranian commanders. The attack lasted around five hours, and the Israeli Defense Force (IDF), together with US and UK troops, shot down the vast majority of the projectiles.
The Biden administration urged Israel not to respond and explained that the US would not engage in any retaliatory strikes. Nevertheless, on April 18, Israel undertook a targeted missile strike at an airbase in the city of Isfahan, central Iran. Israel claimed its fighter pilots launched a “Rampage” air-to-surface missile while simultaneously projecting hundreds of drones to confuse Iran’s defenses.
Iranian commander Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi downplayed the incident, saying the “suspicious objects” caused no damage. He compared them to “toys our children play with.”
The precise and targeted nature of the Israeli response reflected the Jewish state’s decision not to accelerate regional tensions and risk all-out war, analysts say. The New York Times reported that Israeli officials decided to take minimal action after consulting with allies but still sought to send a warning to Iran with a demonstration of military might.
Andrew Borene of the threat intelligence organization Flashpoint said Israel’s response intended to demonstrate that its “precision strike technology can reach into the heart of Iran’s most sensitive military program.”
Dr. Andreas Krieg of the University of London agreed and described Israel’s muted response as “a de-escalatory strike.” He added that neither Israel nor Iran wants to spark a regional conflict.
Copyright 2024, StraightNews.org
