Iran attack puts US back on Israel’s side – for now

Israel’s war cabinet has been meeting to discuss its next move after fighting off a massive air attack launched by Iran and its proxies on April 13.

Speaking after the cabinet met on April 14, Benny Gantz indicated that no immediate response is planned, but that Israel plans to “build a regional coalition and exact the price from Iran in the fashion and timing that is right for us.”

But the first conclusion that can be drawn in the aftermath of Iran’s barrage of missiles and drones aimed at Israel is that it has changed the dynamics of the conflict, both in the region and in Gaza.

By the end of March, the US president, Joe Biden, had become ever more insistent that Israel must substantially increase the flow of aid to the conflict-torn Palestinian enclave. He also wanted an end to the fighting.

Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, had not faced this kind of international pressure since the start of the war after Israel was attacked by Hamas last October 7.

Then, on April 1, Israel launched its attack on the Iranian diplomatic compound in Damascus. The strike killed 16 people, including two senior Iranian military. One of them was General Mohammad Zahedi, Tehran’s link person with Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Israel has never taken responsibility for the strike, but despite this Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, vowed to strike back in retaliation. Biden, in turn, vowed full support for Israel.

When Iran’s missile and drone response came over the weekend, US forces contributed to Israel’s defensive shield. In the space of just two weeks Israel had moved from being drawing condemnation by the US and many Western governments for its conduct of the campaign in Gaza to an ally that needs strong support.

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