Iran's President declares, "Israel has crossed red lines"
6:56 AM EDT, October 29, 2023
Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi has expressed his concern over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. "The crimes of the Zionist regime have crossed red lines, prompting all to consider taking action," the leader posted on social media.
Ebrahim Raisi sharply criticized Israel on Sunday morning via his platform X (previously known as Twitter), stating that "red lines have been crossed".
"Zionist regime’s crimes have crossed the red lines, which may force everyone to take action. Washington asks us to not do anything, but they keep giving widespread support to Israel. " the Iranian president wrote.
The leader furthered by mentioning, "The US sent messages to the Axis of Resistance but received a clear response on the battlefield" - in this statement, Raisi referred to the recent attacks on American forces in Syria and Iraq.
An Ex-Intelligence Analyst's Insight on the Middle East Situation
On Thursday night, US forces carried out raids on military installations in Abu Kamal in Syria. These installations were used by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and their allied militias. The attack was in retaliation to a sustained campaign of assaults on US troops in Syria and Iraq conducted by forces loyal to Tehran over the past week.
Even though these types of attacks happened frequently before with minimal impact (as per the Pentagon, only 21 soldiers suffered brain injuries), the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas raises concerns about a potential broader conflict.
Matt Shoemaker, a past DIA military intelligence agency analyst, noted that in some aspects, the current situation in the Middle East reflects that of August 1914, when nations, amidst nervous uncertainty, prepared for war. According to this expert, despite neither Iran nor the US seeking direct conflict, it could inadvertently occur nonetheless.
- The intent behind Thursday's attacks was not solely to devastate military resources; it was also a signal to Iran: this is not Iran's battle to fight, hence their withdrawal is advised. However, how Iranian decision-makers perceive this message may greatly deviate from Washington's intentions. It's entirely plausible that due to heightened honor and emotions in Iran, they don't see it as an opportunity to retreat, but rather a call to enhance their activity - says Shoemaker.
