JERUSALEM, Israel — Israelis woke up to a peaceful and quiet Saturday morning wondering if a much-hyped Iranian attack would actually happen or if it was just a bluff.
Iran has been attacking Israel since October 7 through its proxies: Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and militias in Iraq.
On April 1, Israel launched an airstrike on Damascus, Syria, killing two Iranian generals and five other officials.
Iran has vowed to retaliate, and US President Joe Biden said on Friday that he expected such an attack to occur. American sources, through of wall street journalsaid Friday that it expected the attack to take place within 24 to 48 hours.
Israel puts its military on high alert, US reportedly moved Deploy warships in the region to thwart Iranian attacks and assist Israel if such attacks actually occur.
As Breitbart News reported, the United States also directed Israeli diplomatic personnel not to travel outside the cities of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Beersheba.
No one knows what form the alleged Iranian attack will take. There are rumors in the media that “swarms” of drones could descend on northern Israel. A barrage of rockets and anti-tank missiles could be launched by Hezbollah from southern Lebanon. There is also the possibility that cruise missiles could be launched from within Iran. However, most reports are speculative based on anonymous sources that cannot be independently verified.
Israel warned Iran that any attack from within Iranian territory would lead to a direct Israeli attack on Iran. Such attacks could be limited to Iranian military bases. It could include a wide range of attacks against Iran’s nuclear facilities and institutions linked to the Iranian regime itself.
World powers recognize that the conflict could escalate into a major war and have warned Iran not to attack. Iran may also have reasons for restraint. Although Iran has been exporting war for decades, it has not had to face an attack on its soil since the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s. Israel may also use Iran’s latest threats as justification to go all out against the regime. If that happens, there is a possibility that domestic opponents of the government will revolt.
What is likely to come is a perfunctory attack or no attack at all, such as the cruise missile attack on U.S. military bases in Iraq that followed the 2020 killing of General Qassem Soleimani. But every hour Iran delays, its ability to project power across the region weakens. Given Iran’s publicly declared intentions, Israel could also launch a pre-emptive strike.
Iran may have bluffed into a situation it was unprepared for and could not win.
Joel B. Pollack is a senior editor at Breitbart News. Breitbart News Sunday Sunday nights from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM ET (4:00 PM to 7:00 PM PT) on Sirius XM Patriot. He is the author of a recently published e-book.The Zionist conspiracy (and how to join it)‘ is now available on Audible. He is also the author of an e-book. Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 US Presidential Election. He is the recipient of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter @joelpolak.
