New Delhi:

Iran’s massive drone strike against Israel comes against the backdrop of a nearly 50-year-old rivalry that emerged after the 1979 Iranian revolution. Last year’s attacks on Israeli cities by Hamas and a brutal counterattack by Tel Aviv sparked the war in Gaza, and it is known that Iran is supporting several players, such as Hezbollah, in the attack against Israel.

However, the drone strike is the first incident in which Iran has launched an attack against Israel from its own territory. After a suspected Israeli attack on its embassy in Damascus, Syria, earlier this month, Tehran insisted it was an act of self-defense. Iran has now put the ball in Israel’s court, saying it hopes there will be no further escalation and “the matter can be considered as a result”.

Here are the factors and constructs that lead to growth:

Original

The Pahlavi dynasty was overthrown in the Iranian Revolution of 1979, led by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Khomeini effected a 180-degree change in Tehran’s engagement with the US, calling it the Great Satan. He coined the phrase “little devil” for Israel for its support of Iran’s last king, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, its close ties with the United States, and Israeli-Palestinian tensions.

As hostility between Tehran and Tel Aviv grew, Khomeini also accused Israel of trying to thwart Iran’s nuclear program.

For decades, both Tehran and Tel Aviv have attacked each other, but have denied any involvement in such attacks. For years, their conflict has been described as the “Shadow War”.

Lebanon and Syria emerged as two battlegrounds for this shadow war. Iran supports Hezbollah, which has been targeting Israel from Lebanese soil. In Syria, Tehran backed President Bashar al-Assad as Israel launched airstrikes on Syrian territory. The Golan Heights, an area of ​​Syria captured by Israel after the 1967 war, is used by Tel Aviv for its attacks in Syria and Lebanon.

Hamas attacks Israel

On October 7 last year, Hamas operatives launched a shock attack on Israeli cities, killing more than 1,200 people and taking more than 200 hostages. In public comments, Iran denied any role in the Hamas attack, but welcomed the attack on Israeli cities. Posters with messages such as “The great freedom has begun” are reportedly displayed on prominent squares in Tehran. Several media reports stated that Iran had actively supported Hamas operatives in planning and carrying out attacks on Israeli cities.

The October 7 attacks triggered a brutal counteroffensive from Tel Aviv, which launched an all-out offensive in the Gaza Strip. According to United Nations estimates, more than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed so far in Israeli retaliatory operations.

Hezbollah opened another front by firing rockets at Israel from Lebanon.

Trigger: Damascus strike

On April 1, suspected Israeli warplanes bombed the Iranian embassy in Syria. Tehran said seven military advisers, including senior commanders, were killed in the attack. “We strongly condemn the brutal terrorist attack that targeted the Iranian consulate building in Damascus and killed many innocent people,” Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Moqdad said.

Asked about the attack, an Israeli military spokesman said: “We do not comment on foreign media reports.”

Iran’s UN mission called the strike “a flagrant violation of the UN Charter, international law and the fundamental principle of the inviolability of diplomatic and consular premises”.

It urged the UN Security Council to condemn the attack and said Tehran “reserves the right to respond decisively”.

Hezbollah also vowed to retaliate and said “this crime will not go unpunished and retribution to the enemy”.

Drone attack

Last night, Iran launched a barrage of drones and missiles targeting Israel. The Iranian military says its drone and missile strikes have “achieved all their objectives”. “Operation Honest Promise … was completed successfully from last night to this morning and achieved all its objectives,” Mohammad Baqeri, chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, told state TV, according to the AFP news agency. For”.

The Israel Defense Forces said most of the drones and missiles were successfully intercepted by the Iron Dome and Aero aerial defense systems. “We have stopped 99 percent of the threats to the land of Israel. This is a very important strategic achievement,” Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said.

According to reports, Iran’s ally Syria said it was putting its surface-to-air defense systems and major bases on high alert.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has given a decisive response, saying that Tel Aviv has been preparing for a direct attack by Tehran for years.

Iran has warned that if Israel retaliates, its response will be “much greater” than drone strikes. The head of Iran’s armed forces, General Mohammad Baqeri, has told state media that if Washington supports an Israeli counterattack, it will also target American bases.