FLASH
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The latest assassination of a top Iranian commander could spark a dark new cycle of revenge in the Middle East, filled with cryptic messages and secret targets.
The dispute between Israel and Iran descended into chaos this week with repeated threats from officials in Tehran, who vowed revenge for the killing of a top commander at its embassy in Damascus.
Although Israel has not publicly taken credit for the attack, US and Israeli officials appear to be taking the warnings seriously, with the White House acknowledging the threat to Israel as "real". .
Warning of the risk of escalation, a report released Monday by London-based Elaph indicates that Israeli soldiers are preparing to launch counterstrikes against Iranian nuclear sites if Iran decides to retaliate.
How exactly Iran might play out its revenge campaign remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: The killing in Syria could mark a grim new chapter in the years-long war between Israel and Iran.
If Tehran is considering attacking Israel, it will likely discuss strikes against Israeli diplomats, Elliott Abrams, a former deputy national security adviser and special representative for Iran, warned the Daily Beast.
"Logic ... suggests to me that they will see if they have the option of attacking an Israeli embassy or Israeli diplomats attached to an embassy or Israeli officials outside of Israel." Abrams said.
" While Iran likely does not want to trigger a wider war, Israel and the US are likely to signal to Iran that it should tread lightly in the coming days ," Abrams added.
Dangerous game
According to Avi Melamed, a former Israeli intelligence official and fellow in Intelligence and Middle East Affairs at the Eisenhower Institute in Washington, DC, Israel's reported preparations may be aimed at deterring Iranian retaliation.
"It is a part of the very complex prevention picture in the region. A very complex game is being played. The regime in Iran aims to have something that is almost a win-win situation... the mullahs' regime can activate their representatives... and the mullahs' regime is safe and sound," said Melamed.
"There is no guarantee that Israel will stick to the same old rules of the game," Melamed said.
US officials have kept a watchful eye on Iran's proxies in Syria and Iraq in recent years, monitoring the threat they pose to US troops stationed in the Middle East.
After the United States killed a top Iranian commander, Qassem Soleimani, in 2020, Iran attacked two US military bases in Iraq in retaliation. Earlier this year, militants carried out another series of attacks against US bases, prompting the Biden administration to respond with airstrikes.
While these attacks have since ceased, the Damascus embassy attack may mean all bets are off the table.
" We will not hesitate to defend our personnel and reiterate our previous warnings to Iran and its proxies not to take advantage of the situation... to resume their attacks on American personnel ," said the US Deputy Ambassador to the Nations. United Robert Wood. / Adapted "Pamphlet", taken from "Daily Beast"
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