Israel cannot afford to risk alienating its allies over Iran

Editorial: As recent warnings by the US and UK have shown, Benjamin Netanyahu cannot take it for granted that the West’s support is unconditional

Iran says ‘the matter can be deemed concluded’ but the ball is now in Israel’s court (Reuters)

The wider Middle East conflict that many people have feared since the horrific attack by Hamas in Israel last October moved a big, worrying step closer at the weekend, when Iran launched a barrage of more than 300 drones and missiles in its first ever direct assault on Israeli territory.

Thankfully, 99 per cent of the weapons were intercepted by Israel and allies including the US, UK, France and Jordan, and casualties were minimal. However, this alarming episode might not be over yet. Iran’s retaliation for the airstrike on its consulate in Damascus two weeks earlier, which Israel has not admitted but the whole world knows it carried out, was inevitable. Tehran’s response was dramatic enough to allow it to think it will deter Israel, but it also gave Israel and its allies time to prepare their defences and limit the damage.

Iran says “the matter can be deemed concluded”, but the ball is now in Israel’s court and there are real fears that the tit-for-tat battle will continue with another Israeli intervention on Iranian soil. Tehran warns that its next retaliation will be “much larger” if Israel responds.