News analysis

Early encouraging signs Iran is playing down Israel’s carefully calibrated attack

The Israeli retaliation was carefully calibrated to be relatively small and precision-aimed at an air force base near the central Iranian city of Isfahan. PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM BENISABTI/X
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Details of the Israeli strike on Iran remain patchy. But even at this very early stage in the latest Middle East crisis, certain conclusions can be drawn with some degree of confidence.

First, it is clear that, despite appeals from US President Joe Biden and other world leaders, Israel felt it had to retaliate for the April 13 Iranian attack on the Jewish state.

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