BEIRUT, Apr 16 US guarantees of assistance and security their allies in the Middle East turned out to be empty words, judging by the actions and statements of the American administration against the backdrop of Iran's retaliatory strike on Israel, says Lebanese writer and political expert Ali Ezzeddine.
«Iran's response to Israel has proven that US guarantees to its allies have no value — they are empty words. They cannot protect them,» Ezzeddine said.
The media previously reported that US President Joe Biden convinced Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to escalate. White House National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby said on Monday that the United States is not involved in Israel's development of a possible response to the Iranian strike.
According to the expert, the very fact of the prompt request from the US administration to the Netanyahu government to renounce a retaliatory strike was a consequence of the use of American air defense systems in the region to repel attacks by Iranian missiles and drones. “They assessed in real conditions the capabilities of Iranian weapons in overcoming their radar and air defense systems, including those deployed in Jordan, which could not effectively counter these attacks,” Ezzeddine said.
The agency's interlocutor noted that another important point is the US call to prevent a large-scale regional war. According to him, Washington understands that this war may not end in Israel's favor.
According to Ezzeddine, Israel's response is likely to be limited, without direct attacks on Iranian territory, as Washington warned that the United States does not intend to directly participate in the conflict in the Middle East. “This means that they left Netanyahu alone (with a potential enemy — ed.), and he will either limit himself to actions against Iran, causing damage in any area of interest (Tehran — ed.), or Netanyahu will make a reckless decision and hit the territory Iran to save face and regain the initiative lost on Sunday night,» he added.
An elite unit of the Iranian Armed Forces, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, launched a strike on Israeli territory on the night of April 14 in response to the destruction by Israeli aircraft of the Iranian consulate in Syria at the beginning of the month. The attack, according to various sources, involved several hundred missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles, including Shahed kamikaze drones, Fattah and Fattah-2 hypersonic missiles. Iranian state television channel Press TV reported that all hypersonic missiles reached their targets.
According to the Israeli army, Iran launched a total of more than 300 munitions and UAVs, including about 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles and more than 120 ballistic missiles. At the same time, Israel states that only “a few missiles” reached the country and caused “minor damage.”