Tehran Downplays Reported Israeli Attacks, Signals No Retaliation

Explosions rocked an Iranian city on Friday, believed to be the result of an Israeli attack. However, Tehran downplayed the incident and indicated that it had no plans for retaliation. This response seems to be aimed at preventing a region-wide war. The limited scale of the attack and Iran’s muted response suggest that diplomatic efforts to avert all-out war have been successful since Iran’s drone and missile attack on Israel last Saturday.

Iranian media and officials described the explosions as the result of air defenses intercepting three drones over the city of Isfahan in central Iran. Interestingly, they referred to the incident as an attack by “infiltrators” rather than specifically blaming Israel, which seems to eliminate the need for retaliation. A senior Iranian official stated that there are no plans to respond to Israel for this incident, emphasizing that the foreign source of the attack has not been confirmed.

Experts believe that Iran’s response indicates a desire to de-escalate the situation and minimize the impact of the attack. Israel has remained silent about the incident, and the United States, as Israel’s ally, has refrained from commenting on any offensive operations. The fear of the ongoing violence between Israel and Iranian proxies escalating into a direct conflict has prompted calls for calm.

While Israel has stated its intention to retaliate after the previous strikes, it remains unclear if further action is planned. Israel has multiple options for attacking, including cyber attacks and strikes on Iranian proxies outside of Iranian territory. Pressure within Israel’s hard-right government for a stronger response is evident, as seen in the criticism by the far-right national security minister.

Overall, the situation remains tense, but the efforts to prevent a full-scale war seem to be holding for now.