UNPRECEDENTED ESCALATION CONTINUES IN MIDDLE EASTERN WAR OVER OIL & RELIGION:
ISRAEL REPORTEDLY STRIKES IRAN AGAIN AFTER IRAN'S RECENT RETALIATION, FIRST REPORTS OF DIRECT ATTACKS BETWEEN IRAN & ISRAEL SINCE COLD WAR
INFO REMAINS UNCLEAR, VARIOUS SOURCES CONTRADICT EACH OTHER
FURTHER ESCALATION SLOWED AS FEAR INCREASES WORLDWIDE
GAZA DEATH COUNT OF MOSTLY WOMEN & CHILDREN PASSES 34,000 UNDER CONTINUED ISRAELI & AMERICAN WAR ON PALESTINE
ASSANGE & SNOWDEN STILL CRIMINALIZED FOR WHISTLEBLOWING ON DERANGED WARLORDS
A week ago, Iran launched a barrage of missiles into Israel, resulting in 1 death: an Israeli child. This attack came in response to an attack on Iran's consulate in Syria. The US and other powers urged Israel to frame the lack of further casualties as a win, restraining from further attacks, as tensions in the region threaten catastrophic consequences for the world. Israel issued increasingly explicit warnings to Iran over the following days, ignoring the warnings publicly issued by the US. However, Israel has not initially claimed credit for this new retaliatory attack on Iran.
It's dubious how the US claims to be urging Israel to de-escalate. Biden hasn't even offered pardons to Edward Snowden or Julian Assange, let alone actually pardoned both, to begin earning trust.
There doesn't seem to be much likelihood that the US will stop providing aid to Israel, including weapons specially designed for committing terrorist attacks. American leadership is clearly choosing to gamble a regional war in the Middle East, hoping to continue expanding the global influence of the military industrial complex with violence against fossil-fuel-rich adversarial powers like Iran & Palestine (who the US just vetoed UN membership for).
Palestinian health authorities have reported the death toll in Gaza to surpass 34,000 today, still mostly women and children. At least 8,000 more are missing. According to the UN, more than 18,000 children have also been orphaned in the onslaught since October 7.
About half of the people in Gaza are under 18, due to high birth rates driven by an instinctive rush to maintain the population against Israeli oppression. Gaza grows increasingly cramped with its growing population, as Israel has spent years blocking most entry and exit from Gaza's small land area. This has gotten much worse since October 7, as Israel has destroyed buildings all over Gaza, leaving vast numbers of people homeless in massive refugee camps. Of course, cramped space has become the least of their worries in this time, as they face bombings, shootings, and a lack of sufficient food, safe water, medical resources, and sanitary facilities.
It makes sense that Iran has suggested they don't plan to retaliate this time. They surely did not intend for their recent attack on Israel to result in the lone death of a young Israeli girl; it's a worst-case outcome. It's demoralizing to everyone on Iran's side and it incites the wrath of Israel's side. Iran's best bet now is to accept the loss of this exchange and focus on preparing for whatever Israel will do next. Iran can't afford to keep making moves that give the appearance of wanting escalation; they must wait for Israel to make moves to start the war.
It also makes sense that Israel would ignore warnings & escalate further. Biden told Netanyahu to frame the outcome of Saturday's attack as a win. The death of a little girl is not a win for either side. Of course Netanyahu would react. Both sides still want oil, after all.
Ukraine has reportedly also followed the lead, ignoring US warnings against drone operations in Russia.
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Al Jazeera live blog's recap of these events
https://archive.ph/B22XI • from today
Iran says its air defence systems shot down three drones in Isfahan province early in the morning. There were no reports of damages, but an investigation is under way to determine where the drones were launched from and who was behind the attack, officials said.
Israeli officials have not commented, but the reports came after Israel threatened to attack Iran following Iran’s retaliatory strikes on April 13. Meanwhile, unnamed US officials told media outlets that Israel had launched an attack on Iran.
There were also reports that mini-drones were flown by “infiltrators from inside”.
Iranian officials have sought to downplay the attack, with a senior official saying there was no plan for retaliation.
While countries around the world called for de-escalation, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken refused to comment on the reported Israeli attack, only saying after the conclusion of Group of Seven (G7) talks in Italy that the United States “has not been involved in any offensive operation”.
Even so, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said the US told the G7 foreign ministers that it received “last minute” information about the attack on Iran.