Why Israel could not let Iran’s missile attack go unanswered - analysis

Israel launched a deliberate strike on military targets in western and central Iran, viewing it as a necessary response to a dangerous test by Tehran that could not be ignored. This action differed from previous retaliations in a familiar cycle, marking a direct Israeli response to Iran's missile launch.

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The importance is in the precedent Tehran attempted to set.

The immediate catalyst involved an earlier Israeli airstrike on Hezbollah targets in Dahiyeh, Beirut, following continued violations of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire. While not a major operation against Hezbollah, Iran chose to respond directly to Israel, threatening retaliation and launching missiles toward the Jewish State. Sirens sounded across northern Israel, and warnings were issued after Yemen's Houthis also rejoined the conflict, leading to restrictions on educational activities nationwide.

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Had Israel allowed the attack without response, the message to Tehran would have been pretty clear.

From Israel's standpoint, allowing Iran's attack to go unanswered would have set a dangerous precedent. It would signal that Hezbollah could continue attacks with impunity, and Iran could launch direct strikes while relying on American diplomatic intervention to constrain Israel's response. This scenario presented an "impossible deterrence model" for Israel.

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That is an impossible deterrence model.

U.S. President Donald Trump urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to refrain from retaliation, emphasizing that the U.S. was close to a deal with Iran and did not want the exchange to jeopardize negotiations. Trump viewed the Iranian attack as not causing significant harm, suggesting it could be absorbed back into the negotiation framework. However, Israel found this logic incomplete, as it potentially compromised its ability to defend itself.

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the US was “very close to a final deal with Iran” and that he did not want the latest exchange to “blow up” the negotiations.