Red alert: Iran’s drone attack sets off red lines worldwide 

The “Red Line” is currently circling the globe, and a serious alarm has just been sounded. Iran launched dozens of drones toward Israel.

Iran may have just crossed a “red line” by firing a drone at Israel. shoot down We stop all fires through sensors, “iron domes” and electronic warfare platforms. In foreign policy, the term “red line” refers to a line that cannot be crossed, and is a term often used by leaders. reveal As with physical boundaries, crossing that policy line means serious trouble.

It used to be Iran proxy Like Hezbollah that fired missiles at Israel.this is extraordinary An overt operation from Tehran.

Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu will need to decide how to respond, where his “red line” lies, and whether this is a limited attack or the beginning of a wider crisis. there will be.

The US response will also depend on whether the Biden administration considers Iran’s actions a “red line” that should not be crossed, and to what extent this was expected, and perhaps to what extent. foretold Iranian officials’ influence on the Biden administration and what might be launched next.

President Biden has called an emergency meeting.The White House statement states that the U.S. “Iron-clad” Support for Israel.

Why now?

After Hamas launched a terrorist attack on Israeli citizens on October 7, 2024, Israel responded with an attack on Gaza. The war, now in its seventh month, has already been classified as a humanitarian disaster. “famine” By Samantha Power, Administrator, U.S. Agency for International Development.

And on April 1st, without acknowledging it or informing the US government, Israel Attack on Iranian consulate in Damascus kill 13 people Among them were important figures from the Quds Force, an elite unit of the Republican Guard.

After the April 1 attack, Iran’s supreme leader made it clear that retaliation would continue.

So what is different today from the months-long conflict in the Middle East? Direct confrontation between great powers is different from when states supply weapons or support to warring parties. Iran itself is now embroiled in war.

Consider how major powers deal with war.

Half a world away, Russia attacks Ukraine with drones and missiles, and the West avoided Concerned that NATO forces on the ground could cross a “red line” and provoke a nuclear attack by President Putin, they confronted Moscow directly.

The interesting thing about “red lines” is that they are not necessarily thick red or transparent. We do not know how Israel will react and what impact this will have on its actions in Gaza, where the invasion of Rafah is taking place. On hold.Iran said it launched these retaliatory attacks “Occupied Territories”.

While our focus is on Iran, there is still a notable ground war in Gaza.

Prime Minister Netanyahu is with the date in mind The move is in preparation for an invasion of Rafah, where about half of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have now fled, but he would not say exactly when.

But publicly he said: “We’re going there. We’re not going to leave them. You know, there’s a red line. Do you know what the red line is? That October 7th will never happen again. It will never happen again.” ”

Considering that Iran may possess nuclear weapons, Israel will be on high alert. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has spoken in the past about Israel’s “red lines that must not be crossed.” When speaking about Iran’s nuclear program in 2013, he said: warned “They’re approaching the red line.”

Redlining is always a difficult problem.

The price of issuing a red line and then withdrawing from the threat is a loss not only of public support but also of trust in the intended policy outcome.

as political analyst Steven Pifer write“Red lines are about deterrence. The point of drawing red lines that must not be crossed is to demonstrate a strong, if not essential, interest on the part of the United States and that there will be serious consequences if the line is crossed.” It is to show that.”

Whether the United States becomes further involved in this conflict depends on where the red lines are drawn.

Today’s events are characterized by the need to look in many directions simultaneously: Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, Ukraine. And also to ourselves.

In the future, you will need to track multiple drones heading to multiple regions of Israel. stay tuned.

Tara D. Sonnenschein is a senior fellow at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.