Israeli strikes on Saturday destroyed important energy sites in Iran's air defense system but did not hit the facilities themselves. After the attack, the leaders of both countries spoke in a measured manner:
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei of Iran did not appear to explicitly call for retaliation, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel stated that it had accomplished its goals.
The lieutenant general of the Israeli military Israel was ready to respond even more forcefully if attacked, according to General Herzi Halevi. He stated, "We utilized only a portion of the capabilities." We have a lot more to do.
Their remarks came as American and Israeli negotiators were making their way to Qatar to try to restart talks that had been dead for a long time with the goal of brokering a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip. Local officials claim that Israel earlier struck the town of Beit Lahia in the northern part of Gaza, killing and wounding dozens of people. Israel also carried out deadly attacks in southern Lebanon.
Analysis: After the damage to the air-defense systems, experts both inside and outside the Biden administration are concerned that Iran might conclude that it only has one defense left.
