Scholz warns of further escalation in the Middle East

According to consistent US media reports, Israel attacked Iran in response to a major attack last weekend. The New York Times cited two Israeli and three Iranian government employees who were not named. Following the reports, Chancellor Olaf Scholz once again warned of further escalation in the Middle East. “Everyone must ensure now and in the near future that the war does not escalate further“, he said. Germany represents this position together with its allies.

As broadcasters CNN, ABC News, Fox News and other media reported, Israel carried out a military operation in Iran on Friday night. One or more Israeli missiles attacked a target in Iran. There were initially no reports of damage. Israel and the US Department of Defense have not yet commented.

Iran’s state media rejected reports of missile attacks. It was not a widespread attack, the state news agency Irna reported on Friday morning. “A few hours ago, several small flying objects were spotted and hit in the sky of Isfahan,” a reporter said on a live broadcast on state television. Air traffic, which was briefly interrupted, has been resumed. At the same time, the Iranian government rejected reports that the country’s Security Council had met for an emergency meeting.

Over the weekend, Iran directly attacked Israel for the first time with more than 300 missiles and drones. The background to the Iranian missile and drone attacks was a suspected Israeli-led attack on the Iranian embassy compound in the Syrian capital Damascus, in which two generals of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard were killed at the beginning of April. Iran’s leadership then announced retaliation. In recent days, Iran’s military leadership has threatened a decisive response if Israel attacks Iran. Never before have the enemy countries been so close to war.

According to a US media report, Israel wanted to show Tehran that it can attack targets in the country with the alleged air strike in Iran. The Israeli military carried out the attack in retaliation for Tehran’s drone and rocket fire last weekend, the Washington Post reported, citing an unnamed Israeli government official.

According to US military expert Cedric Leighton, Israel has proven that with its actions, which were “clearly a direct response to the Iranian attacks over the weekend,” that the Iranian air defense system does not have anywhere near the capabilities of the Israeli air defense system.

CNN military expert Mark MacCarley said: “The Israelis had to retaliate, but that retaliation also carried a message that yes, we can do it. Don’t do that again. If you do it again, chaos will ensue.”

No Iranian nuclear facilities hit

CNN also reported that nuclear facilities were not the target of the attacks. The International Atomic Energy Agency also gave the all-clear. The organization in Vienna reported that no Iranian nuclear facilities were damaged. IAEA chief Rafael Grossi continues to “call on everyone to exercise extreme restraint,” said a statement on X, formerly Twitter. Nuclear facilities should never be targets in military conflicts, he emphasized.

According to state media, several small flying objects were shot at in the sky over the Iranian province of Isfahan during the night. There had previously been reports of an explosion near the city of the same name, Isfahan, which, according to state media, was triggered by air defenses. The explosion reportedly occurred near a military base. A general said the reason for the explosion was air defense. “We had no damage or incidents,” the officer said.

Important facilities for the Iranian defense industry are located in Isfahan. The country’s largest nuclear research center is also located in the cultural city. According to the radio, there was no danger to the nuclear facilities there. At the end of January 2023, a Defense Ministry ammunition factory near the metropolis of Isfahan was attacked with several small aircraft in Iran. At the time, Iran blamed its arch-enemy Israel as the mastermind of the attack.

It remains unclear whether and how Iran will react and whether hostilities will continue to escalate or the signs point to de-escalation. According to a senior official, the Islamic republic has no immediate plans to retaliate. According to his account, it is not yet clear who is behind the incident. “The foreign source of the incident has not been confirmed,” the Iranian official, who did not want to be named, told Reuters on Friday. There was no “external attack” on Iran, he added. “The discussion tends more towards infiltration than attack.”

Kremlin calls for “restraint” after explosions in Iran

After the overnight explosions in Iran, Russia has called on everyone involved to show “restraint”. All sides should “refrain from any actions that could provoke further escalation,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday. Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in a radio interview that Russia had made it clear to Israel that Iran “does not want an escalation” in the conflict. There were “telephone contacts between the Russian and Iranian leadership” as well as “our representatives and the Israelis,” Lavrov said in an interview with Russian radio stations. “In these talks we made it very clear to the Israelis that Iran does not want any escalation,” he emphasized.

Arab states concerned about security situation in the region

After the alleged Israeli attack on Iran, Arab states have expressed concern about the security situation in the region. The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said it was “deeply concerned” about the ongoing mutual escalations between Israel and Iran. Egypt called on both parties to exercise maximum restraint and abide by international law. The North African country wants to come into closer contact with the affected and influential parties “in order to contain the ongoing tension and escalation,” it said.

Oman condemned the “Israeli attack on Iran” and repeated Israeli attacks in the region, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said. The country is calling on the international community to address the causes of the conflict through diplomacy. The focus should be on efforts to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza war in order to achieve a “just and lasting solution”.

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi condemned in a post on “The inhumane war against Gaza must end now,” said Al-Safadi. The United Arab Emirates made similar statements. In a statement from the Foreign Ministry, the gold emirate called on all parties involved to exercise “utmost restraint.”

In the past few months after the start of the Gaza war Decades-old conflict between Israel and the Islamic Republic of Iran has come to a dramatic head. The Jewish state finds itself under attack on multiple fronts following attacks by militias allied with Iran. Since the 1979 revolution, the USA and Israel have been considered archenemies of the Islamic Republic. Netanyahu has also described Iran as his “most important enemy” in the past.

In addition to the threat from a massive missile and drone arsenal, Israel also fears Iran’s controversial nuclear program. The US has repeatedly accused Tehran of seeking nuclear weapons. Iran denies the allegations and asserts that its nuclear program is used for purely civilian purposes. A religious legal opinion by Khamenei had banned weapons of mass destruction as incompatible with Islam. (dpa/AFP)

This text is continually updated.