ISRAEL GOES AFTER IRAN, BUT EASY AS PASSOVER IS IN A FEW DAYS.LETS GET THAT 3RD TEMPLE REBUILT.

JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER. 1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)

ISRAEL GOES AFTER IRAN, BUT EASY AS PASSOVER IS IN A FEW DAYS.LETS GET THAT 3RD TEMPLE REBUILT.


Elam (IRAN IN THE BIBLE) passed into the hands of the Persians" (A.H. Sayce).
Jeremiah 49:35-39
35-Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the chief of their might.
36-And upon Elam will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven, and will scatter them toward all those winds; and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of Elam shall not come.
37-For I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies, and before them that seek their life: and I will bring evil upon them, [even] my fierce anger, saith the LORD; and I will send the sword after them, till I have consumed them:
38-And I will set my throne in Elam, and will destroy from thence the king and the princes, saith the LORD.
39-But it shall come to pass in the latter days, [that] I will bring again the captivity of Elam, saith the LORD.

Ezekiel 32:24
24-There [is] Elam and all her multitude round about her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, which are gone down uncircumcised into the nether parts of the earth, which caused their terror in the land of the living; yet have they borne their shame with them that go down to the pit.

EZEK 38:4-13
4  And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
5  Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6  Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY) of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee.(AFRICAN MUSLIMS,SUDAN,TUNESIA ETC)
7  Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
8  After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.
9  Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.
10  Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:
11  And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
12  To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.
13  Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?(OIL IS IN SPOIL-I BELIEVE THATS WHY RUSSIA,ARAB/MUSLIMS MARCH TO ISRAEL)
EZEK 39:11-21
11  And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers on the east of the sea: (EAST OF THE DEAD SEA IN THE JORDAN VALLEY) and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog and all his multitude: and they shall call it The valley of Hamongog.(CEMETARY OF THE HORDE)
12  And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land.
13  Yea, all the people of the land shall bury them; (ALL AVAILABLE ISRAELS WILL BURY THE RUSSIA,MUSLIM HORDE) and it shall be to them a renown the day that I shall be glorified, saith the Lord GOD.
14  And they shall sever out men of continual employment, (NUCLEAR PROFFESIONALS) passing through the land to bury with the passengers those that remain upon the face of the earth, to cleanse it: after the end of seven months shall they search.(SO BY THE SOUNDS OF IT AFTER 7 MONTHS THE NUKED RUSSIA,MUSLIM HOARDES BONES WILL STILL BE FULL OF RADIATION, SO VISITERS TO ISRAEL WILL JUST PUT A SIGN BY THE BONES.NOT TOUCH THEM.OR THEY WOULD STILL GET RADIATION POISONING FROM ISRAEL NUKING THEM 7 MONTHS EARLIER.SO THE SIGN GOES BY THE BONES.THE NUCLEAR PROFFESIONALS WILL PICK UP AND TAKE THE BONES TO THE JORDAN VALLEY BURIAL SITE.
15  And the passengers that pass through the land, when any seeth a man’s bone, then shall he set up a sign by it, till the buriers have buried it in the valley of Hamongog.(VALLEY OF GOGS HORDES)
16  And also the name of the city shall be Hamonah.(MEANING CITY OF THE HOARDE) Thus shall they cleanse the land.
17  And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood.(RUSSIA,ISLAMIC HORDE)
18  Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan.
19  And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you.
20  Thus ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord GOD.
21  And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them.

ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their eyes shall consume away in their holes,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB)(BECAUSE NUKES HAVE BEEN USED ON ISRAELS ENEMIES)(GOD PROTECTS ISRAEL AND ALWAYS WILL)
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3 BILLION DIE IN WW3)(THIS IS AN ATOMIC BOMB EFFECT)

Debris from missiles found in Iraq-In ‘message,’ IDF said to fire 3 missiles at radar defense for secret Iran nuclear site-US reports say missiles fired from outside Iranian airspace hit air force base in Isfahan and not the nearby fortified Natanz atomic center; Iran insists only small drones used-By ToI Staff and Agencies Today, 11:12 pm

An alleged Israeli strike in Iran overnight Thursday-Friday went beyond the scope of several small drones described by Tehran, US media reported later Friday. It reportedly included three missiles launched by Israeli Air Force warplanes that targeted an air defense radar site near Isfahan that was part of an array defending the nearby top-secret Natanz nuclear site.The report, first published by ABC, cited a US official as saying that the missiles were fired from outside of Iranian airspace.According to the report, the strike was “very limited.” It said that according to an initial assessment, the strike took out the radar site, but the assessment had not yet been completed.Iran had claimed earlier that three small drones were involved in the attack on Isfahan. State TV said that the small aircraft were destroyed by air defenses, and it made no mention of any missiles or damage in the attack.The ABC report did not say if the missiles were in addition to the drones reported by Iran.Authorities said air defenses fired at a major air base in Isfahan, which long has been home to Iran’s fleet of American-made F-14 Tomcats — purchased before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.Citing “senior US military sources,” Fox News also reported that the target of the strike was a military base in Isfahan,  and not the not the heavily fortified nuclear facilities themselves which lie some 100 kilometers (62 miles) to the north of the city, largely buried under a mountain.“The Israelis hit what they intended to strike,” one of the sources told Fox News, adding that there was one main target that was hit multiple times and that Iran’s Russian-made air defense system was proven ineffective.The targets of the strike included air defense systems at the military base, which is used to protect the nearby nuclear facilities, Fox reported.Israel’s message with the strike was to sell the Iranians on the idea that “we can reach out and touch you,” the source said.In Israel, authorities were officially silent on the strike, but a number of politicians and former officials spoke out about the strike.Speaking to Channel 12 news, retired general Israel Ziv, a former IDF operations chief, said that if the attack was carried out by Israel, it was not intended to cause major destruction, but to send a “very clear message to Iran” demonstrating the “technological gap” between Israel and Iran and highlighting the IDF’s ability to penetrate Iran’s most sensitive sites.Despite the reports that a radar site had been destroyed, satellite images published by CNN did not appear to show any extensive damage to Iran’s Isfahan air base.The synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite images were taken around 10:18 a.m. local time — five hours after the strike..@CNN EXCLUSIVE: No extensive damage seen at Iran's Isfahan air base in exclusive satellite images https://t.co/ioscPEGmOP— Shawn Reynolds (@Shawn Reynolds_) April 19, 2024-“There does not appear to be any large craters in the ground and there are no apparent destroyed buildings,” CNN said, noting that the findings needed to be confirmed by regular satellite pictures that could detect things like burn scars.SAR images are created by a satellite transmitting radar beams capable of passing through clouds, like the ones currently preventing satellites from imaging the area. Those radar beams bounce off objects on the ground, and echo back to the satellite.Despite the reports, Iran continued to insist that only several small drones were launched and that they had not caused any damage.Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said drones caused no damage or casualties, in comments made to the envoys of Muslim countries in New York and cited by Iranian media.“The Zionist regime’s media supporters, in a desperate effort, tried to make victory out of their defeat, while the downed mini-drones have not caused any damage or casualties,” he was quoted as saying.In a meeting with his Brazilian counterpart, Amir-Abdollahian said: “The main factor for stability and security in the region is to stop the Zionist regime’s crimes in Gaza and the West Bank and establishing a lasting ceasefire.”Amir-Abdollahian visited New York to attend a United Nations Security Council meeting on the Middle East.The reports that Israel fired missiles appear to correlate with debris found in Iraq in the morning after residents of Baghdad reported hearing sounds of explosions.Images showed what appeared to be parts of a two-stage standoff air-to-surface missile near Latifiya, southwest of Baghdad, which would have fallen away after the missile launch, although this remains unconfirmed.Israel has several types of these munitions available for its air force, raising the possibility it was fired as part of the attack.Also, around the time of the incident in Iran, Syria’s state-run SANA news agency quoted a military statement saying Israel carried out a missile strike targeting a southern air defense unit and causing damage. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said the strike hit a military radar for government forces. It was not clear if there were casualties, the Observatory said.That area of Syria is directly west of Isfahan, some 1,500 kilometers (932 miles) away, and east of Israel and could provide an indication of the route taken by Israeli jets.The Tasnim news agency published a video from one of its reporters, who said he was in the southeastern Zerdenjan area of Isfahan, near its “nuclear energy mountain.” The footage showed two different anti-aircraft gun positions, and details of the video corresponded with known features of the site of Iran’s Uranium Conversion Facility at Isfahan.“At 4:45, we heard gunshots,” he said. “It was the air defense, these guys that you’re watching, and over there too.”The facility at Isfahan operates three small Chinese-supplied research reactors, as well as handling fuel production and other activities for Iran’s civilian nuclear program.Isfahan also is home to sites associated with Iran’s nuclear program, including its deeply fortified underground Natanz enrichment site, which has been repeatedly targeted by suspected Israeli sabotage attacks.State television described all atomic sites in the area as “fully safe.” The United Nations’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, also said “there is no damage to Iran’s nuclear sites” after the incident.The IAEA “continues to call for extreme restraint from everybody and reiterates that nuclear facilities should never be a target in military conflicts,” the agency said.Iran’s nuclear program has rapidly advanced to producing enriched uranium at nearly weapons-grade levels since the collapse of its atomic deal with world powers after then-US president Donald Trump withdrew America from the accord in 2018.While Iran insists its program is for peaceful purposes, Western nations and the IAEA say Tehran operated a secret military weapons program until 2003. The IAEA has warned that Iran now holds enough enriched uranium to build several nuclear weapons if it chose to do so — though the US intelligence community maintains Tehran is not actively seeking the bomb.Iran’s insistence that the strike was carried out by drones and caused no damage, appeared to be part of an effort to play down the severity of the attack.Iran has no plan for immediate retaliation against Israel, a senior Iranian official said. The Iranian official also cast doubt on whether Israel was behind the attack in Isfahan, despite comments from some Israeli politicians practically accepting responsibility.Together with a subdued response from official Iranian media organs, the senior official’s comments indicated that Tehran may be uninterested in risking war to make good on threats that it would attack Israel should it retaliate for a weekend missile and drone attack, and was seeking a way to avoid being held to the bellicose promises.“The foreign source of the incident has not been confirmed,” the Iranian official said on condition of anonymity.“We have not received any external attack, and the discussion leans more toward infiltration than attack.”They added that Iran has no plan to strike back immediately over the attack.In a speech, Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi hailed Tehran’s unprecedented retaliatory attack on Israel almost a week ago, but made no mention of the latest blasts.That operation “showed our authority, our people’s will of steel and our unity,” Raisi told hundreds of people in Semnan province, east of Tehran.In most official comments and news reports, there was no mention of Israel, and state television carried analysts and pundits who appeared dismissive about the scale.In Israel, authorities were officially mum, but a number of politicians and former officials spoke out about the strike.National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, a hardliner who had pushed for a forceful response to Iran’s early Sunday attack, tweeted the single word “lame!”A Channel 12 report claimed officials in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s inner circle slammed Ben Gvir for damaging Israel’s national security, saying the far-right minister “was and remains childish and irrelevant to any discussion.”Opposition Leader Yair Lapid also slammed Ben Gvir.“Never has a cabinet minister so badly hurt the country’s security, image and international standing,” wrote Lapid on X. “In an unforgivable, one-word tweet Ben Gvir managed to make Israel into a laughing stock, disgracing it from Tehran to Washington.”The Israeli response was thought to have been tempered by international pressure to make sure that the reply did not further escalate tensions.Israel has for years operated under a strategy of plausible deniability regarding its attacks on Iranian interests in Syria, declining to take responsibility or speak publicly about specific sorties and giving Iran and its proxies an out to avoid retaliation.The strategy has limits though. Israel has not taken responsibility for a strike on Iran’s embassy in Damascus on April 1 that killed several members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp, including a top officer. Nonetheless, Iran responded Sunday night by lobbing over 300 cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and armed drones at Israel.Nearly the whole barrage was shot down by Israel, with help from the US, UK, France and Jordan. A small Israeli girl who was the only victim in the attack was badly injured by falling shrapnel; the targeted Nevatim air base also suffered light damage, according to Israeli officials.

Israeli warplanes said to take out radar installation in southern Syria-Attack involving six fighter jets flying east over Daraa-Suweida area occurred around same time as reported attack on Iran’s Isfahan, monitor says-By AFP Today, 1:54 pm-APR 19,24

Israel allegedly carried out strikes on a Syrian army position in the country’s south early Friday, Syria’s government and a monitor said, as reports indicated that Jerusalem had launched a retaliatory attack against an Iranian site in Isfahan.In a statement, Syria’s defense ministry said “The Israeli enemy carried out an attack using missiles… targeting our air defense sites in the southern region” and causing material damage.The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said Israel targeted an army radar position in the southern province of Daraa that had detected the entry of Israeli planes into Syria’s airspace.Rami Abdelrahman, head of the Britain-based Observatory, claimed the strikes took place “at a time when the Israeli air force was flying intensively over the Daraa region” without Syrian air defenses taking any action.He said six Israeli fighter jets entered Syria’s airspace and were flying east when they were spotted by the radar. He said damage was caused, but it was unclear if there were any casualties.The Israeli military has carried out hundreds of strikes in Syria since the outbreak of a civil war in its northern neighbor in 2011, usually targeting Iran-backed fighters or weapons transfers.Rayan Maarouf, who runs the Suwayda24 anti-government news website, said there had been strikes on a Syrian army radar position in Sweida province, without specifying their origin.Sweida neighbors Daraa in Syria’s far south, near its border with Jordan. The area is directly west of Isfahan, some 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) away, and east of Israel.The strikes occurred as Israel appeared to launch a hotly awaited reprisal against Iran, with Tehran saying its air defenses took out three drones. Israeli and US officials confirmed to foreign news sites that Israel was behind the attack, which was widely described as limited and meant to keep the fighting from escalating.Israel warned it would hit back after Iran launched hundreds of drones and missiles against Israel overnight on April 13 in an unprecedented attack, which was retaliation for a deadly strike on its Damascus consulate.There was no comment on the alleged Syria strike from Israel, which generally refrains from commenting on individual strikes.

AnalysisIsrael keeps its eye on the bigger picture-With mild reported strike, Israel aims to bolster coalition to tackle Iran nuke threat
Attack at Isfahan sends warning to Iran, seeks to avoid escalation, reflects US calls for strategic thinking, keeps intact the alliance that helped defend Israel on Saturday-By David Horovitz-Today, 1:13 pm-APR 19,24

The United States had implored Israel to think carefully and strategically when weighing a response to the hundreds of missiles and drones Iran launched at Israel overnight Saturday-Sunday.Amid the limited reliable information emerging Friday about Israel’s reported retaliation, insistent official silence in Jerusalem, and the military censor’s requirement that any allegation and detailing of an Israeli retaliatory strike be attributed to overseas media reports, it appeared that the government had indeed taken that advice to heart.After days of protracted war cabinet discussions, visits by foreign leaders urging caution, and innumerable consultations with the United States, it would appear that the reported Israeli response was far more symbolic than damaging — designed to send messages, preserve alliances, avoid any further escalation in the short term, and keep a focus on the strategic, indeed existential, imperative of ensuring that the regime in Iran does not attain a nuclear weapons capability.The response also appears to have been designed with a greater government awareness than in recent months of the central importance of Israel’s relationship with the United States — and specifically with a Biden administration that rallied to Israel’s defense on Saturday night, that is maintaining the vital flow of military assistance for the war against Hamas and other defense needs, and that a very few hours before the reported Israeli strike single-handedly prevented UN recognition of Palestinian statehood.The symbolism of the reported Israeli strike was unmistakable: Five days after the sole Israeli military target hit by Iran’s direct onslaught was the Nevatim Air Force Base, which sustained minor damage, Israel is said to have targeted an Iranian military base at Isfahan. According to the former IDF intelligence chief Amos Yadlin, the base in question is a kind of Iranian “equivalent to Nevatim” — an air base, used by combat aircraft and military transport planes, likely with air defense systems.It is also, Yadlin noted in a television interview, close to a major Iranian nuclear facility for uranium enrichment. Several other military facilities are also located in the area.In terms of practical consequence, the reported Israeli response, then, was apparently no remote parallel to Iran’s attack, which would have caused devastation were it not for the combination of US-led coalition forces and Israel’s multiple layers of air defense. According to those foreign reports we have to cite, it was also not launched directly from Israel but rather carried out by a few drones launched from inside Iran.Israel, the message of the Isfahan mini-strike would appear to say, not only knows a great deal about Iran’s nuclear sites but can target them at will-The choice of the Isfahan location would seem to constitute an obvious counter to the kind of threats issued by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ nuclear commander, Ahmad Haghtalab, who warned on Thursday that Iran might revise its nuclear doctrine were Israel to strike its nuclear facilities, and asserted that Iran had all the intelligence and capacities it needs to target Israel’s nuclear capacities. Israel, the message of the Isfahan mini-strike would appear to say, not only knows a great deal about Iran’s nuclear sites but can target them at will, including with attacks launched from inside Iran’s own territory.According to Yadlin, the overall goal was to convey to the Iranians, “Pay attention; you are vulnerable.”The official silence in Jerusalem gives Iran the potential to refrain from the “massive” response it has been promising to even the tiniest Israeli retaliation. Initially, at least, Iran would appear to be inclining in that direction. After a very few hours of apparent initial domestic chaos, Iran reopened its airports, clarified that it had not come under missile attack, declared its air defense had thwarted a drone attack, and asserted that no damage had been caused. A senior official was quoted saying there was no sign of an external attack and no immediate plan for retaliation against Israel.That could change in the coming hours and days, of course. But Israel, too, apparently sees no immediate danger of escalation, with no change to the current business-as-usual Home Front command regulations.Characteristically, the only Israeli minister to have alluded to the reported Israeli strike as of this writing was the reliably irresponsible far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who after Saturday night’s Iranian onslaught demanded that Israel “go crazy” in response. He tweeted a single word on Friday morning, best translated as “lame.”If Ben Gvir was indeed referring to the reported Israeli retaliation, lame it certainly was, as far as we know right now, by comparison to Iran’s unprecedented direct assault on Israel.But that assault was almost completely thwarted by a US-led coalition of European and regional states acting together with Israel in remarkable coordination and effectiveness, after years of joint training.Iran’s assault reminded the international community of the dangers posed by the regime — not only to Israel, directly and via its proxies in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and beyond, but to the entire international community.And it underlined the devastating threat posed to the entire international community by this rapacious Islamic extremist regime in Tehran on its march to nuclear weapons.The days since Iran’s attack have seen international movement toward intensified sanctions against Tehran, and toward the wider recognition of the IRGC as a terrorist organization — positive steps, though hardly likely to have the ayatollahs quaking. But Saturday night’s assault on Israel reminded the international community of how unthinkable an Islamic Republic with nuclear warheads atop those ballistic missiles would be, and just possibly will see the US-led international coalition working more assiduously to tackle the threat.The danger of escalation has not passed. Indeed, fighting across the northern border has intensified over the past week, with Hezbollah stepping up its attacks, and Israel responding. (A single Hezbollah drone strike on Wednesday, which injured 18 people, several of them seriously, underlined the vast harm those Iranian projectiles would have caused were it not for the array of defenses.) Israel also hit targets in Syria overnight. Iran could yet choose to hit back at Israel indirectly, or at Israeli or Israeli-linked targets overseas. Again, these are the initial hours after yet another development in the endlessly fraught post-October 7 reality.But by striking back at Iran in the way it reportedly did, Jerusalem apparently sought to underline the message that Tehran is vulnerable, and to respond to Saturday night without prompting wider conflict and without alienating the new coalition, the better to galvanize international support for tackling the paramount Iranian nuclear threat.In recent years, it has often seemed as though Israel was destined to have to try alone to thwart the ayatollahs’ march to the bomb. After Saturday night, that may no longer be the case. And what Israel did or didn’t do in the past few hours was evidently designed to maintain the possibility of concerted action.

IN Friday speech, Raisi makes no mention of latest blasts-Iran says no retaliation planned, as both sides seek distance from Isfahan attack
Ben Gvir tweets alleged reprisal was ‘lame,’ drawing complaints of endangering security by revealing origin of strike, even as Iran indicates it will look the other way-By ToI Staff and Agencies Today, 12:24 pm-APR 19,24

Iran has no plan for immediate retaliation against Israel, a senior Iranian official said Friday, as officials in Jerusalem indicated that an alleged drone attack on a city south of Tehran was meant to send a signal rather than cause damage.The Iranian official also cast doubt on whether Israel was behind the attack in Isfahan, despite comments from some Israeli politicians practically accepting responsibility. Together with a subdued response from official Iranian media organs, the senior official’s comments indicated that Tehran may be uninterested in risking war to make good on threats that it would attack Israel should it retaliate for a weekend missile and drone attack, and was seeking a way to avoid being held to the bellicose promises.“The foreign source of the incident has not been confirmed,” the Iranian official said on condition of anonymity.“We have not received any external attack, and the discussion leans more toward infiltration than attack.”They added that Iran has no plan to strike back immediately over the attack.In a speech, Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi hailed Tehran’s unprecedented retaliatory attack on Israel almost a week ago, but made no mention of the latest blasts.That operation “showed our authority, our people’s will of steel and our unity,” Raisi told hundreds of people in Semnan province, east of Tehran.In most official comments and news reports, there was no mention of Israel and state television carried analysts and pundits who appeared dismissive about the scale.Shortly after midnight, “three drones were observed in the sky over Isfahan. The air defense system became active and destroyed these drones in the sky,” Iranian state TV said.Senior army commander Siavosh Mihandoust was quoted by state TV as saying air defense systems had targeted a “suspicious object.” He said there had been no damage from the attack.An analyst told state TV that mini drones flown by “infiltrators from inside Iran” had been shot down by air defenses in Isfahan.In Israel, authorities were officially mum, but a number of politicians and former officials spoke out about the strike.National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, a hardliner who had pushed for a forceful response to Iran’s early Sunday attack, tweeted the single word “lame!”A Channel 12 report claimed officials in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s inner circle slammed Ben Gvir for damaging Israel’s national security, saying the far-right minister “was and remains childish and irrelevant to any discussion.”Opposition Leader Yair Lapid also slammed Ben Gvir.“Never has a cabinet minister so badly hurt the country’s security, image and international standing,” wrote Lapid on X. “In an unforgivable, one-word tweet Ben Gvir managed to make Israel into a laughing stock, disgracing it from Tehran to Washington.” According to the Washington Post, citing an Israeli official, the strike had been intended to signal to Iran that Israel has the ability to reach Iran with its weapons.“It’s important Iran understand that when it acts against us, we have the ability to strike any point and we can do enormous damage – we have a capable air force and the US on our side,” former national security adviser Eyal Hulata told Army Radio.The Israeli response was thought to have been tempered by international pressure to make sure that the reply did not further escalate tensions.“Nobody wants war with Iran right now,” Netanyahu confidant Natan Eshel was quoted saying by journalist Ben Caspit. “We proved to them that we can infiltrate and strike within their borders and they weren’t able to inside ours. The messages are more important than the grandstanding. We currently have more important tasks both in Gaza and Lebanon.”Like fellow firebrand Ben Gvir, Likud MK Tally Gotliv also appeared to spill the beans over the attack.In a post on X, she said early Friday was “a morning to proudly hold our head up high. Israel is a strong and powerful country.” She added a prayer for the return of Israel’s “power of deterrence.”Some politicians expressed annoyance at the comments, despite several unnamed Israeli and US officials telling foreign press outlets that Israel was behind the attack.Israel has for years operated under a strategy of plausible deniability regarding its attacks on Iranian interests in Syria, declining to take responsibility or speak publicly about specific sorties and giving Iran and its proxies an out to avoid retaliation.The strategy has limits though. Israel has not taken responsibility for a strike on Iran’s embassy in Damascus on April 1 that killed several members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp, including a top officer. Nonetheless, Iran responded Sunday night by lobbing over 300 cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and armed drones at Israel.Nearly the whole barrage was shot down by Israel, with help from the US, UK, France and Jordan. A small Israeli girl who was the only victim in the attack was badly injured by falling shrapnel; the targeted Nevatim air base also suffered light damage, according to Israeli officials.“It’s good for us that the Iranians are telling this narrative, that it was drones, birds, just a field outside of Isfahan,” Zvika Haimovitch, a former commander of the IDF air defense array, told Channel 12. He said both countries were allowing each other “room for cover and denial,” which would enable the situation to de-escalate.“It’s too early to say that it’s over,” former national security adviser Ephraim Halevy told Army Radio. “But there’s a difference between the Iranian attack and the Israeli response which is intended to send a message and not result in widespread and significant [damage].”However, CNN quoted a regional intelligence source as saying that direct state-to-state strikes between Israel and Iran were “over,” and assessed that Iran would not respond.

Military air base at Isfahan said targeted in drone strike-Iranian air base reportedly attacked in ‘limited’ Israeli reprisal strike-Iran downplays apparent retaliation and Israel keeps mum in sign both sides are looking to climb back from brink of war following international pressure for restraint-By ToI Staff and Agencies Today, 8:17 am-APR 19,24

Explosions were heard near the Iranian city of Isfahan early Friday as Israel reportedly launched a heavily anticipated reprisal strike for an Iranian attack on Israel days earlier, defying international pressure to stand down.There was no official confirmation of a strike from Israeli authorities; state-run media in Iran reported only that air defenses were activated, downplaying claims of an attack on a military site in the city some 315 kilometers (196 miles) south of Tehran and describing the incident as business-as-usual.But unnamed Israeli and American officials told US news outlets that Israel had carried out a strike. And the New York Times said three Iranian sources confirmed that a military air base in Isfahan had been struck. The scope of the damage was not clear.The apparently limited nature of the strike, reportedly carried out with drones rather than missiles or airstrikes, and the lack of official acknowledgment will likely give the regime in Iran the strategic deniability needed to wriggle out of its bellicose threats to attack Israel a second time, providing an early indication that both Israel and Iran may be seeking to step back from the brink of war.The attack had been widely expected, with Israel providing indications throughout the week that it would not let an unprecedented Iranian barrage of over 300 ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones early Sunday pass without a response, leading to fears of spiraling tit-for-tat attacks giving way to all-out war.However, there were also indications that the Israel Defense Forces had moderated its attack plans in response to international pressure for restraint.National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir a hardliner who has pushed for wide military action against Iran, commented on X with a simple “lame.”Iranian state TV said that shortly after midnight “three drones were observed in the sky over Isfahan. The air defense system became active and destroyed these drones in the sky.”The broadcaster later said the situation in Isfahan was normal and no ground explosions had occurred. Iranian officials initially grounded flights and cleared its airspace, but lifted restrictions on flights later Friday morning.Gen. Siavosh Mihandoost, a local army commander, told state TV the incident caused “no damage” around Isfahan.An Iranian analyst told state TV that the mini drones shot down by air defenses in Isfahan were flown by “infiltrators from inside Iran.”One source told Reuters the US was not involved but was notified by Israel before the attack.According to CNN, quoting a senior US official, Israel told the US the attack was not targeting Iranian nuclear facilities. Both CNN and Fox News quoted officials describing the attack as “limited.”An Israeli source was quoted telling the Washington Post that the attack was meant to serve as a warning that Israel’s military has the ability to reach Iran.Israel’s Home Front Command said there were no special instructions for staying near bomb shelters, indicating no Iranian response was expected.Isfahan is home to sites associated with Iran’s nuclear program, including its underground Natanz enrichment site, which has been repeatedly targeted by suspected Israeli sabotage attacks.State television described all sites in the area as “fully safe.”Tasnim later published a video from one of its reporters, who said he was in the southeastern Zerdenjan area of Isfahan, near its “nuclear energy mountain.” The footage showed two different anti-aircraft gun positions, and details of the video corresponded with known features of the site of Iran’s Uranium Conversion Facility at Isfahan.“At 4:45, we heard gunshots. There was nothing going on,” he said. “It was the air defense, these guys that you’re watching, and over there too.”The facility at Isfahan operates three small Chinese-supplied research reactors, as well as handling fuel production and other activities for Iran’s civilian nuclear program.The air base in Isfahan has been home to Iran’s fleet of American-made F-14 Tomcats — purchased before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi had warned Israel before Friday’s strike that Tehran would deliver a “severe response” to any attack on its territory.Iran told the United Nations Security Council on Thursday that Israel “must be compelled to stop any further military adventurism against our interests” as the UN secretary-general warned that the Middle East was in a “moment of maximum peril.”Alongside the strike in Iran, Israel was also accused of carrying out an attack overnight on a Syrian military radar installation in the south of the country.

What Matters Now to Mideast analyst Avi Issacharoff: Iran can have nukes in 6 months-Seasoned journalist and ‘Fauda’ co-creator spells out how nuclear Iran must be treated as Israel’s prime existential threat, even as the Jewish state fights on many fronts
By Amanda Borschel-Dan-Today, 9:47 am-APR 19,24

Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring one key issue currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, hosted by deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan.In a post-October 7 Israeli reality, is any new security threat outside the realm of imagination? This week, when over 300 projectiles were fired by Iran at Israel, we pose this question to journalist and co-creator of the hit Israeli drama “Fauda” Avi Issacharoff.Legions of fans around the world know of Issacharoff’s storytelling from the popular television series — loosely based on his experiences in the IDF’s elite Duvdevan unit — which he writes with “Fauda” star Lior Raz. (We’ll hear a story of their post-October 7 real-life bravery during our conversation.) But Issacharoff is first and foremost a long-time, diehard journalist and analyst of the Arab world — one who has put his life on the line in the past to cover a story.We pick Issacharoff’s brain as we unpick the knotty situation Israel is currently facing with enemies on our borders, and Iran as a puppetmaster who is coming increasingly closer to a nuclear bomb.So this week, we ask journalist Avi Issacharoff, What Matters Now.

French police detain man claiming to wear explosive vest at Iran consulate in Paris-Iranian man allegedly wears vest containing three fake grenades, previously convicted for setting fire to tires in front embassy entrance in 2023-By Julia Pavesi Today, 9:22 pm-APR 19,24

PARIS, France (AFP) — French authorities Friday detained a man suspected of entering the Iranian consulate in Paris and falsely claiming to be armed with an explosive vest, police and prosecutors said.No explosives or arms were found on the man or the premises after he surrendered to police following the incident.The man, born in 1963 in Iran, had already been convicted for setting fire to tires in front of the entrance of the Iranian embassy in Paris in 2023, the Paris prosecutor’s office said.Police arrested the suspect, who has not been named, when he exited of his own accord after appearing to have “threatened violent action” inside, it said.But “no explosive materials have been observed at this stage,” either on him, in his car or in the building.According to a police source, who asked not to be named, he was wearing a vest with large pockets containing three fake grenades.Police earlier told AFP that the consulate called in law enforcement after a witness saw “a man enter carrying a grenade or an explosive belt.”An AFP journalist said the whole neighborhood around the consulate in the capital’s 16th district had been closed off and a heavy police presence was in place.Traffic was temporarily suspended on two metro lines that pass through stops close to the consulate, Paris transport company RATP said.Iran’s embassy and consulate in the French capital share the same building, but have two different entrances on separate streets.The incident came with tensions running high in the Middle East as Israel reportedly launched a heavily anticipated reprisal strike overnight for an Iranian attack on Israel days earlier, defying international pressure to stand down.There was however no suggestion of any link.Facing court-The office of the Paris prosecutor confirmed that the same man was due to appear in court on Monday over a fire at the diplomatic mission in September 2023.A lower court had handed him an eight-month suspended sentence and prohibited him from entering the area around the consulate for two years and carrying weapons.But he is appealing the verdict.At the time, the man had claimed the action as an act of opposition to Iran’s clerical authorities as they faced the “Woman. Life. Freedom.” nationwide protests.Reports said that the man left Iran in the wake of the 1979 Islamic revolution and has expressed sympathy towards the former imperial regime.France raised its national security alert to its maximum level following an attack on a concert venue in Moscow on March 22, for which the Islamic State group claimed responsibility.The incident at the Iranian consulate prompted the Paris embassy of the United States, Iran’s arch-foe, to issue a security alert for its citizens.“Americans are advised to avoid the area and follow instructions from local authorities,” it said.Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

3 ships in initial flotilla with aid, thousands of passengers-Israel braces for ‘Freedom Flotilla’ set to sail from Turkey to Gaza-TV report says Israeli officials hope departure of convoy that aims to break Israeli blockade of Hamas-run enclave will be indefinitely postponed, after several delays already-By ToI Staff and Reuters Today, 4:00 am-APR 19,24

Security officials in Israel have been preparing for the arrival of the first ships from the so-called Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which is expected to depart Turkey in the coming days in an attempt to reach the shores of Gaza and disrupt maritime trade amid Israel’s war with Hamas.The effort to reach Gaza in ships carrying hundreds of tons of humanitarian aid is being spearheaded by the Turkish IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation, which is attempting to break the naval blockade maintained by Israel on Gaza to prevent the Hamas terror group from rearming itself.The initial flotilla will comprise three ships, two of which will hold humanitarian aid while the third will carry thousands of passengers including aid workers and press members, according to Reuters. At a later stage, additional ships will depart from elsewhere in the region to join them and expand the flotilla, the IHH said in a statement published online.The purpose of the flotilla is to “put the genocide in Gaza firmly on the agenda of international decision-makers and states, and to create a strong initiative to end the Israeli aggression and lift the embargo on the territory,” the organization stated.In addition to the IHH, groups based in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand were also among those set to participate in the upcoming flotilla.According to an unsourced report Thursday evening from Channel 12 news, Israeli officials hope the flotilla, which has already been delayed several times, will be postponed indefinitely.Speaking to Reuters on Thursday, human rights lawyer and pro-Palestinian activist Huwaida Arraf said she was joining the flotilla “to attempt to deliver this aid and to directly challenge the siege in hopes of breaking it.”“We understand that Israel might attack us… With all eyes on our ships, we hope that Israel will decide not to. But if they do, again, people on board will be trained in nonviolent resistance,” said Arraf, a Palestinian-American.The planned departure of the flotilla comes almost 14 years after a similar mission organized by IHH, which Israel has designated a terror group.In May 2010, the Gaza Freedom Flotilla tried to breach the maritime blockade on the Gaza Strip but was intercepted by the Israeli Navy. After the convoy refused Israeli Navy orders to reroute to Ashdod, Israeli commandos boarded one of the ships, the Mavi Marmara, which was carrying over 600 passengers. After being met with violent resistance, the commandos opened fire and killed 10 Turkish activists. Ten Israeli soldiers were wounded during the attack.The diplomatic crisis between Israel and Turkey that ensued after the Mavi Marmara incident was only solved in 2016, when Jerusalem agreed to pay $20 million in compensation to the families of the victims and to allow Turkish aid into Gaza – and in return, Istanbul agreed not to hold any individual Israeli nationals criminally or financially liable for the incident.The blockade on Gaza was imposed by Israel in 2007, shortly after Hamas took control of the coastal enclave, and enforced in cooperation with neighboring Egypt to prevent the terror group from rearming and becoming an even greater menace after it repeatedly declared its intention to destroy Israel.Despite the blockade, Hamas managed to acquire weaponry and funding, thanks mainly to Iranian and Qatari support, and to fire rockets at Israeli towns and cities on a regular basis, causing skirmishes which on repeated occasions escalated into protracted conflict.Hamas’s attacks on Israel culminated in its October 7 onslaught on southern Israel, when Hamas-led terrorists burst through the border and killed some 1,200 people, most of them civilians, rampaging through communities in southern Israel and mowing down partygoers at a music festival. The terrorists also kidnapped some 253 people to Gaza, where around 129 are still held hostage.

We’re not like the Nazis’: Netanyahu said to chide German FM on Gaza ‘famine’ remark-Heated exchange reportedly occurs after Annalena Baerbock charges Israel pushing Gaza toward starvation; Germany complains about ‘distorted’ leaks-By ToI Staff Today, 7:47 pm-APR 19,24

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly bickered with Germany’s foreign minister regarding the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, with the premier telling her, “We’re not like the Nazis.”The Wednesday conversation apparently turned contentious when German Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Annalena Baerbock asserted that Israel was “driving Gaza toward famine.”In the exchange reported by Channel 13, Baerbock offered to show Netanyahu and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer “photos of hungry [Gazan] children on my phone.” Netanyahu responded to the gesture, telling the German official, “Come and see the pictures of the markets in Gaza, the beaches in Gaza, there’s no famine there.”The report came amid photos circulating on social media showing stocked market stalls and Gazans enjoying a hot day on the beach, after the Israel Defense Forces withdrew all of its maneuvering ground forces from the Strip two weeks ago, prompting displaced Palestinians to attempt to return to their homes.Baerbock reportedly recommended that Israel stop circulating the photos of life supposedly returning to normal in the Palestinian enclave “as they don’t portray the real situation in Gaza. There is hunger in Gaza.”At this point, Netanyahu was said to have raised his voice and insisted conditions in Gaza were improving: “It’s real. It’s reality. It’s not like what the Nazis staged, we’re not like the Nazis who produced fake images of a manufactured reality.”Netanyahu was likely referring to the Theresienstadt “model” ghetto set up by the Nazis during World War Two to deceive international observers as to the conditions Jews were living in.According to the Channel 13 report, the German foreign minister responded, “Are you saying that our doctors in the field in Gaza aren’t telling the truth? Are you saying that the international media is lying?”On Friday, Germany said it complained to Netanyahu’s staff after what it described as a “distorted” account of a row was leaked to the press.Asked about the report after a G7 foreign ministers’ meeting on the Italian island of Capri, Baerbock said that “we are not reporting on confidential discussions.”“The German ambassador was in contact with the prime minister’s staff and made it clear what we think of such distorting publications,” she said. “Regret was expressed to us regarding the publication, whose source is unclear.” Germany’s ambassador to Israel Steffen Seibert tweeted that “key points” in the media accounts were“wrong and misleading,” but did not specify what was the issue.Baerbock and British Foreign Secretary David Cameron arrived in Israel on Tuesday in the wake of Iran’s unprecedented attack on Israel overnight Saturday-Sunday, in which it launched some 350 attack drones and missiles at the country.Germany urged Israel to show restraint in the aftermath of the attack, warning that any additional direct hostilities with Iran could send the Middle East spiraling into an all-out war.“Everyone must now act prudently and responsibly,” Baerbock said after meeting with Netanyahu and other Israeli officials before departing Israel for a Group of Seven meeting that she said would discuss Iran sanctions.“A spiraling escalation would serve no one, not Israel’s security, not the many dozens of hostages still in the hands of Hamas, not the suffering population of Gaza, not the many people in Iran who are themselves suffering under the regime, and not the third countries in the region who simply want to live in peace,” she continued.During a Wednesday cabinet meeting, Netanyahu told the members that both Baerbock and Cameron had “all kinds of suggestions and advice.” While it was appreciated, Israel would nevertheless “make our own decisions, and the State of Israel will do everything necessary to defend itself.”Netanyahu’s office said earlier that during his meetings with the German and British foreign ministers, the prime minister “reiterated that Israel would maintain its right to self-defense.”The war in Gaza erupted after Hamas’s October 7 massacre, when Hamas-led terrorists burst through the border and killed some 1,200 people, most of them civilians, rampaging through communities in southern Israel and mowing down partygoers at a music festival. The terrorists also kidnapped some 253 people to Gaza, where around 129 are still held hostage.Agencies contributed to this report.

IDF: 4 soldiers hurt, several Palestinian gunmen killed in West Bank raid-Palestinians say top Islamic Jihad terrorists among those killed in clashes with soldiers in Nur Shams; army bulldozers rip up roads to search for bombs-By Emanuel Fabian-Today, 4:32 pm-APR 19,24

Several Palestinian gunmen were killed and four soldiers were wounded during a counter-terrorism raid in the West Bank’s Nur Shams refugee camp, close to Tulkarem, the military said Friday afternoon. Palestinian media said a senior Islamic Jihad terrorists was among the dead.The Israel Defense Forces said its troops and Border Police officers raided Nur Shams overnight, during which several wanted Palestinians were detained, explosive devices were discovered, and several gunmen were killed in clashes throughout the morning. Palestinian media outlets report that a senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist Muhammad Jaber, known as Abu Shuja’a, was killed in the raid.He was the commander of PIJ’s local wing in Tulkarem, the reports said.The reports also named a second person killed, identifying him as as 30-year-old Salim Ghannam. At least on other person was injured.The Palestinian health ministry in Ramallah also said that a Qais Fathi Nasrallah, 16, was killed.  The official Palestinian news agency Wafa said he died after being “shot in the head by Israeli live gunfire.” It was unclear when he actually died.The army said it scanned buildings and used bulldozers to rip up roads where bombs were suspected to have been planted.An officer of the Marom Brigade and a soldier of the brigade’s elite LOTAR unit were moderately injured, and two soldiers of the Kfir Brigade’s Haruv reconnaissance unit were lightly hurt amid the operation, the IDF said.Tensions in Israel and the West Bank have soared since October 7, when terrorists burst through the Gaza border into Israel in a Hamas-led attack, killing at least 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and seizing 253 hostages.Since October 7, Israeli troops have arrested some 3,850 wanted Palestinians across the West Bank, including more than 1,650 affiliated with Hamas, according to the IDF.The Palestinian Authority health ministry has said more than 450 West Bank Palestinians have been killed in that time. The IDF says the vast majority of them were gunmen or terrorists carrying out attacks.

Lame!’: Ben Gvir slammed for hinting Israel behind overnight strike in Iran-‘Childish’ far-right minister appears to criticize strike as weak even as Jerusalem, Tehran mum on Israeli connection; Lapid: ‘Unforgivable’ tweet disgraces country, harms security-By AFP and ToI Staff Today, 4:11 pm-APR 19,24

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir came under severe criticism and accusations of harming Israel’s strategy against Iran after he suggested Jerusalem was behind blasts that rocked an Iranian base on Friday.Iran’s state media reported that there were explosions in the central province of Isfahan, while a section of US media quoting American officials reported Israel had carried out “limited” retaliatory strikes targeting a military site in the city.When contacted by AFP, neither the Israeli military nor the government offered comments on the blasts.But Ben Gvir, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition, wrote “Lame!” on X, using Hebrew slang, a suggestion Israel was behind the blasts, but its actions were weak.The comment from the far-right warhawk swiftly sparked anger from political allies and foes, as well as chuckles from Iran.“Never before has a minister done such heavy damage to the country’s security, its image, and its international status,” Opposition Leader Yair Lapid wrote on X, formerly Twitter.“In an unforgivable tweet of one word, Ben Gvir managed to sneer and shame Israel from Tehran to Washington.”Unnamed government officials close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were quoted by Channel 12 news calling the far-right minister “childish and irrelevant to any discussion.” They accused him of wreaking extensive damage on Israel’s national security.The Israeli military has been known to decline to take responsibility for some sensitive operations abroad, including airstrikes, part of a strategy meant to avoid forcing the aggrieved party to feel as if it has to strike back to save face. Iran’s downplaying of the incident, with some casting doubt on Israel being responsible and indications it would not retaliate, came in stark contrast to strident threats from Iranian officials of an immediate reprisal should Israel attack Iran.Shaiel Ben-Ephraim, an academic and host of a podcast on geopolitics, said that Ben Gvir “confirms the Israeli operation and ridicules it.”“By doing so he undermines Israel’s power of deterrence. An absolute disgrace for a minister,” he wrote on X.Iran’s Tasnim news agency, which has downplayed the attack along with the rest of Iran’s state-controlled media, referenced Ben Gvir’s post in a tweet, commenting that Israel was mocking itself.Israel had previously warned it would hit back after Iran fired hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel almost a week ago, in retaliation for a deadly strike on April 1 — which Tehran blamed on its foe — that leveled Iran’s consular annex at its embassy in Syria.Fears of a major regional spillover from the Gaza war have since soared.

Blinken: US not involved in any offensive op, seeks de-escalation-Global community urges Israel, Iran to keep a lid on tensions after reported strike-Italian leader says US warned ‘at last minute,’ as Washington clarifies it had nothing to do with alleged retaliation; indications tit-for-tat over do little to mute calls for restraint-By Agencies and ToI Staff Today, 4:06 pm-APR 19,24

The United States sought to distance itself from a reported Israeli retaliation against an air base in central Iran Friday, denying involvement and apparently telling partners that it was only warned about the attack at the last moment.With Iran downplaying the “limited” drone strike, fears that Israel’s reprisal would lead to escalating fighting began to fade, even as the international community continued to make impassioned pleas for restraint and calm.The US was “not involved in any offensive operation” on Iranian soil, Washington’s Secretary of State Antony Blinken told a press conference at the end of a Group of Seven summit of foreign ministers on the Italian island of Capri.Blinken added that the US was committed to Israel’s security. Asked whether Washington was alerted ahead of time of the reported Israeli attack, Blinken answered: “I’m not going to speak to these reported events… All I can say is for our part, and for all the members of the G7, our focus is on de-escalation.”Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, whose country holds the international forum’s rotating presidency, had earlier said that the US was alerted of the attack shortly before it happened.Tajani said the US informed the G7 ministers that it had been “informed at the last minute” by Israel about the drones.“But there was no sharing of the attack by the US. It was a mere information,” he added.“We invite everyone to be cautious to avoid an escalation,” Tajani also told Italy’s state-run RAI news agency.A statement issued by G7 ministers at the end of the three-day summit Friday “urge[d] all parties to work to prevent further escalation. The G7 will continue to work to this end.”Israel has remained silent on the reported attack on an airbase near Isfahan early Friday, and Iran has said explosions reported overnight were from anti-aircraft fire successfully fending off an assault by three small drones.Nuclear facilities in Isfahan were “completely secure” following the attack, according to a report from Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency. The International Atomic Energy Agency, which urged “extreme restraint from everybody,” later confirmed that no nuclear facility was hurt, adding they “should never be a target in military conflicts.”IAEA chief Rafael Grossi had said Monday that Iran had closed its nuclear installations for security reasons.Iran has not publicly blamed Israel for the attack, in an ostensible effort to downplay the significance of the attack.The decades-long shadow war between Israel and Iran burst into the open over the weekend when Iran retaliated for an alleged Israeli airstrike on April 1 that killed seven Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members, including two generals, near the Iranian embassy in the Syrian capital of Damascus. Iran’s drones and missiles were almost entirely intercepted by Israel and other countries, though a 7-year-old Bedouin girl was severely injured in the attack.British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, whose country’s air force helped Israel fend off Iran’s weekend assault, said Friday he would not speculate on reports Israel had carried out an attack on Iranian soil.“It’s a developing situation, it wouldn’t be right for me to speculate until the facts become clearer and we’re working to confirm the details together with allies,” Sunak said after a speech in central London.“Significant escalation is not in anyone’s interest. What we want to see is calm heads prevail across the region,” he added.United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Friday that “it is high time to stop the dangerous cycle of retaliation in the Middle East,” his spokesperson said in a statement.“The Secretary-General condemns any act of retaliation and appeals to the international community to work together to prevent any further development that could lead to devastating consequences for the entire region and beyond,” Stephane Dujarric said.European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called on Iran, Israel and their allies to refrain from escalation in the Middle East.“It is absolutely necessary that the region remains stable and that all sides restrain from further action,” von der Leyen said, speaking alongside Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo near the Finnish-Russian border.“De-escalation remains the order of the day in the near future. And we will also talk about this with all our friends and allies, and work together with them in this direction,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told reporters on Friday.Middle Eastern governments were similarly wary of heightened tensions in the region.“Regional escalation is a danger that must be prevented. We condemn all actions that lead to a regional war,” wrote Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on X, adding: “The Israeli-Iranian escalation must stop, and efforts must remain and focus on ending the brutal Israeli aggression on Gaza.”Egypt’s foreign ministry said it was “deeply concerned” about an escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran. The Emirati foreign ministry similarly called on all sides to show “utmost restraint.”Oman, which has long mediated between Tehran and the West, condemned what it referred to as the “Israeli attack” on Iran on Friday.Oman “condemns the Israeli attack this morning on Isfahan… it also condemns and denounces Israel’s repeated military attacks in the region,” said a foreign ministry statement released on X, formerly Twitter.Superpowers aligned with Iran joined in the international de-escalation chorus.“We continue to favor restraint on the sides and to refrain from any action that could provoke further escalation in such a sensitive region,” Russian government spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.The Kremlin has made clear to Israel that Iran “does not want escalation,” Moscow’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said later in an interview with Russian radio stations.“There have been telephone contacts between the leadership of Russia and Iran, our representatives and the Israelis. We made it very clear in these conversations, we told the Israelis that Iran does not want escalation,” said Lavrov.The Russian government, which has grown harshly critical of Israel during the war in Gaza, relies on Iranian-made drones in its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.China, Iran’s biggest trade partner, said Friday that it will “continue to play a constructive role to de-escalate” tensions in the Middle East after Iranian media reported explosions heard near the city of Isfahan and US media quoted officials saying Israel had carried out retaliatory strikes on its arch-rival.“China opposes any actions that further escalate tensions and will continue to play a constructive role to de-escalate the situation,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said.After the alleged Israeli attack on Iran, China’s embassy in the Islamic Republic implored Chinese citizens in Iran to remain alert.“[We] remind Chinese citizens and companies in Iran to take precautions over security risks, pay close attention to the development of the situation and ensure personal safety,” the embassy said in a statement on social media.China is a close partner of Iran and a top buyer of its sanctioned oil. The US has repeatedly made public appeals for China to use its influence over Tehran to manage tensions in the region, which are currently turbocharged over the Israel-Hamas conflict, triggered by Hamas’s shock October 7 assault on southern Israel in which 1,200 people were killed, mainly civilians, and over 250 were abducted.Meanwhile, the Hamas terror group said Israel’s “aggression” on Iran is an escalation against the region.Hamas is part of the Iran-led “Axis of Resistance,” along with Lebanon’s Hezbollah and groups in Syria and Iraq.Global markets dampened after news broke of Israel’s purported attack in Iran, with investors flocking to safe assets amid fears the Israel-Iran tensions could wreak havoc on the global economy.

Hostage families block Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway; CIA chief blames Hamas for deadlock-Burns says Hamas ‘standing in the way of’ Gazans getting the aid they need; official says IDF strike that killed Haniyeh’s sons, grandchildren led terror group to harden demands
By Jacob Magid,ToI Staff and Agencies 20 April 2024, 12:20 am

Dozens of relatives of the Gaza hostages along with their supporters blocked off the main highway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv on Friday, protesting government inaction in returning the abductees.The demonstrators burned barrels set up in the middle of the highway and held up signs with pictures of their loved ones, calling on Israel to do more to reach an elusive deal.Police and firefighters then moved in to disperse the demonstrators and douse the flames.While the demonstrators placed the onus on the Israeli government, CIA chief Bill Burns in a rare public comment placed the blame on Hamas for the deadlocked negotiations, saying the terror group had rejected the latest proposal.“It was a deep disappointment to get a negative reaction from Hamas,” Burns said at an event at the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas.“Right now, it’s that negative reaction that really is standing in the way of innocent civilians in Gaza getting humanitarian relief that they so desperately need,” he said.Burns said he could not guarantee that the talks will succeed.“And it breaks your heart because you can see in very human terms what’s at stake here as well,” he said.The recent proposal was widely reported to offer a temporary ceasefire of at least several weeks in return for the release of dozens of hostages. Israel would also set free hundreds of Palestinian security prisoners held in its jails alongside enabling a boost in aid to Gaza, where a humanitarian crisis has ballooned amid the fighting.However, the aftermath of an Israeli strike last week killing three of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh’s children and four of his grandchildren was said to have contributed to the ongoing deadlock in negotiations, a senior Arab official told The Times of Israel.The strike came at a critical point in the negotiations before Hamas was slated to provide its response to the latest proposal, the senior Arab official said, noting that the terror group went on to subsequently harden its demands.Talks also faced a further setback this week as Qatar said it was seeking to reassess its role as a mediator between the two sides amid harsh criticism.Qatar, with the United States and Egypt, has been engaged in weeks of behind-the-scenes talks to secure a truce in Gaza and the release of Israeli hostages — kidnapped by Hamas during its October 7 massacre — in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.In addition to Hamas spurning the latest deal, criticism of Qatar’s handling of the negotiations made by a number of Democratic and Republican US lawmakers contributed to their re-evaluation of its role entirely, according to the same Arab official.Firefighters douse burning barrels with water after relatives and supporters of Israeli hostages held in Gaza since the October 7 attacks blocked the Ayalon highway between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem near Latrun, during a protest calling for their release on April 19, 2024. (Ahmad Gharabli/AFP)-While clarifying that the majority of Qatar’s frustration was directed at the Israeli government, which has led to much of the criticism against Doha, Qatari officials noted that recent remarks from Congress members also played a part in the decision to re-evaluate the mediation role.A senior Democratic lawmaker,  Representative Steny Hoyer of Maryland, called earlier this week for the US to re-evaluate its ties to Qatar should Doha fail to pressure Hamas in the negotiations, and a group of Republican lawmakers submitted legislation aimed at stripping Doha of its coveted status as a major non-NATO ally.Qatar asserted that it is merely a mediator without the ability to pressure the sides and that only Israel and Hamas were responsible for whether or not an agreement is reached. The Gulf state is a longtime backer of Hamas and hosts its leaders.In announcing its decision to re-evaluate its role as a mediator, Qatar’s prime minister did not provide a timeline, though some analysts speculated that Doha was unlikely to abandon its position.More than six months after Hamas’s onslaught, 129 hostages kidnapped from Israel are believed to remain in Gaza, with at least 34 of them confirmed dead, out of the 253 captured on October 7. Their families have grown increasingly desperate, holding months of rallies demanding that the government reach a deal to secure their release.A weeklong truce deal reached in late November saw 105 hostages freed in exchange for 240 Palestinian security prisoners. Three hostages have been rescued alive by the IDF, four were released prior to the deal and the bodies of 12 hostages have been recovered by troops from Gaza.