Reprinted from Bracing Views with the author’s permission.
Iran has responded with drones and missiles to Israel’s previous attack on its consular building in Syria, which killed senior officers in the Iranian military. The Iranian response seems to have done little damage to Israel, telegraphed as it was in advance by Iran. In theory, Iran has now saved face and we can move on with our lives with less fear of World War III breaking out in the Middle East.
Not so fast, apparently, as Netanyahu’s government claims it must now respond to the Iranian response. Apparently, leveling Gaza and seizing more territory in the West Bank isn’t enough to keep the right-wing government in Israel busy. The Biden administration continues to say it will have Israel’s back, so the risk of further escalation remains high.
As usual, the mainstream media in the U.S. continues to manipulate the facts, as shown in this headline at CNN, along with changes made to highlight how it should read if facts mattered here:
At the New York Times this morning, I noted this headline: “Iran Attacks Israel.” Who says the NYT can’t write a short punchy headline?
The following snippet comes from the NYT story:
Israel’s defense minister said that the confrontation with Iran was “not over.” A top Iranian official wrote on social media: “The matter can be deemed concluded. However, should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran’s response will be considerably more severe.”
As usual, a former administration official was called upon to sanction more violence by Israel. To wit:
Dana Stroul, the former top Middle East policy official at the Pentagon, said, “Given how significant this attack was, it is difficult to see how Israel cannot respond.”
Nothing was said about how “significant” the initial attack by Israel on Iran’s embassy was, of course.
We surely don’t need another wider war in the world, but that doesn’t mean we won’t get one. There’s always someone who profits from war, whether politically or monetarily (or both). Stand by for further updates.
William J. Astore is a retired lieutenant colonel (USAF). He taught history for fifteen years at military and civilian schools. He writes at Bracing Views.