The US and its G7 allies have issued a warning to Israel, urging restraint in its response to Iran’s recent missile strike on the apartheid state on Tuesday.
Iran claims that it targeted Israel’s military installations, including the building housing Mossad in a civilian neighbourhood in Tel Aviv. Israeli officials have not reported any serious injuries, but two people are said to have been slightly wounded by shrapnel.
While Israel and its allies have dismissed the attack as a failure, many view the strike as a demonstration of the precise capabilities of Iran’s missiles. Some have also stressed that if Iran had intended to kill indiscriminately, Tehran could have done so by following the Israeli example of targeting schools and hospitals.
READ: Iran rejects G7 statement on Iran’s attack against Israel as ‘biased’
US President Joe Biden, in coordination with other G7 leaders, emphasised Israel’s right to respond but warned that a disproportionate Israeli attack threatens a regional war. “We’ll be discussing with the Israelis what they’re going to do… all seven of us agree that they have a right to respond, but they should respond in proportion,” Biden is reported saying by the Financial Times.
Biden has made similar calls for restraint during Israel’s year-long assault on Gaza and issued many red lines, which the occupation state has disregarded repeatedly, including his directive not to target Palestinians taking sheltering in Rafah. Washington’s failure to enforce its own red lines and grant impunity to Israel, is seen widely as a major reason for the latest escalation with Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Despite warning Israel against striking Iranian nuclear facilities, Western officials acknowledge that their influence on Tel Aviv may be limited. Israel is said to be emboldened by recent successes against Hezbollah, including the assassination of its leader Hassan Nasrallah. Coupled with Washington’s “ironclad” support, Benjamin Netanyahu is prepared to open a new front with Iran.
It’s feared that Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities could provoke a severe response from Tehran, potentially targeting US bases in the region and oil infrastructure. “Tehran is likely to view a strike against its nuclear programme as a fundamental and direct attack on the regime’s stability itself, likely ensuring a response that moves all parties up the escalatory ladder,” Jonathan Panikoff, a former senior intelligence official, is reported as saying by the Financial Times.
The potential for disruption to oil supplies is also of significant concern. Any attacks on oil infrastructure could lead to a sharp increase in global oil prices, impacting economies already struggling to recover from recent crises. The Bank of England has already warned today about the potential economic impact of rising oil prices due to further escalation in the Middle East.
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