For the first time publicly, Iran confirmed that two of its soldiers were killed following Israeli airstrikes on Iranian military bases as tensions in the region surged to a new level. Israeli forces have targeted strategic military installations throughout Iran’s Ilam, Khuzestan, and Tehran provinces as they described what they say is a response to “months of continuous attacks” by the Iranian regime. The Iranian state television confirmed that projectiles from what it referred to as the “Zionist regime” caused these fatalities.
This is the first time for Israel, considering it is in conflict with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, to resort to this action, a huge leap in its military policy. Iran had always shunned confrontation on its soil since the Iraqi invasion in the 1980s. This sets forth a serious test of Iranian defensive capabilities. Tehran aired footage of heavy air defense activity over the city but made no comment on which facilities were hit.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry said the attacks constituted a gross violation of international law, and officials explained that it “has the right and duty” to defend itself under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, which permits self-defense. Despite this aggression, Iran was committed to peace in the region, it added.
This step comes with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken completing a Middle East tour where he appealed for restraint to prevent further destabilization of the region.
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Such a move by Israel, fueled by long-standing tensions, risks opening new fronts that could widen this ongoing conflict. Of course, Iran’s pronouncement to retaliate adds another layer of complexity, suggesting we may observe escalation rather than de-escalation in the region. With the U.S. advocating measured responses, this is critical.
Minutes by M31GlobalNews
