In the aftermath of Iran’s first ever direct attack on Israel from its own territory, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi warned on Sunday that if Israel retaliates against the attack, an even “stronger response” would be coming.
“If the Zionist regime (Israel) or its supporters demonstrate reckless behavior, they will receive a decisive and much stronger response,” Raisi said.
Israel, however, appears undaunted.
ISRAEL SAID TO STRIKE BACK ON IRAN IN NEXT 24/48 HOURS
— zerohedge (@zerohedge) April 14, 2024
Saturday’s missile and drone attack from Iran on Israel has indeed shattered precedents of years of proxy war between the two nations and has threatened to plunge the Middle East into all-out war.
Even more concerning is that if direct war breaks out, it may possibly bring other world powers more directly into the conflict. The United States and much of Europe are firmly behind Israel, but Russia, China and Iran have formed an axis of power which has enlisted other Middle Eastern nations in tow, including Syria, Lebanon and others.
While the United States has reasserted its commitment to the defense of Israel in the wake of Iran’s attack, Russia also is expressing its support for Iran and urging “restraint” from all sides, as well as simultaneously arguing for Iran’s “right to self-defense,” a reference to Israel’s strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus which killed two Iranian generals. Russia also condemned that strike.
The escalation comes in the midst of what appears to already be a global theater of war and proxy war between world powers. As NATO supports Ukraine in its bloody war with Russia, Russia has been showing support for Palestine and Iran in its conflicts with Israel, potentially diverting Western resources from Ukraine to the Middle East as Russia’s army continues to grind on in the face of heavy casualties.
Meanwhile, China’s saber-rattling towards Taiwan has reached unprecedented levels as the communist nation has vowed reunification with the democratic island country. As the West continues to deplete its resources supporting a Middle East conflict and a proxy war in Ukraine, it is less able to lend support to Taiwan’s defense in the event of a Chinese invasion.
All of this has happened on President Joe Biden’s watch.
Although Israel has claimed a majority of the drone and missile attacks from Iran were intercepted by its “Iron Dome” missile defense system, the nature of the direct attack may very well provoke a more direct response from Israel, who has not shown a history of ever backing down from a fight.
As the regional powers continue in their tit-for-tat strikes and counter-strikes against the backdrop of religion and global politics, the world stands in need of clear leadership motivated by principles other than power, money and the selfish whims of the detached political elite.
