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A10 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 28 august 2019

Israel's shadow war with Iran bursts into the open

JERUSALEM (AP) — The long raised the stakes ahead
shadow war between Israel of the vote. He has denied
and Iran has burst into the any wrongdoing.
open in recent days, with Despite his tough rhetoric,
Israel allegedly striking Iran- Netanyahu has tradition-
linked targets as far away ally been risk-averse in mili-
as Iraq and crash-landing tary matters. But he also
two drones in Hezbollah- views countering Iran as his
dominated southern Beirut. primary mission and may
These incidents, along with hope to cement his legacy
an air raid in Syria that Israel while he has a staunch sup-
says thwarted an imminent porter in the White House.
Iranian drone attack, have ___
raised tensions at a particu- IRAN
larly fraught time. Trump's decision to with-
Israel's Prime Minister Ben- draw from the nuclear deal
jamin Netanyahu is look- and impose maximal sanc-
ing to project strength tions on Iran has devastat-
three weeks before na- ed its economy and left it
tional elections, while Iran desperate for relief.
has taken a series of pro- Iran has begun openly
vocative actions in recent In this Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2019 file photo, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers a breaching limits set by
months aimed at pressur- speech in Kyiv, Ukraine. the deal, saying it cannot
ing European nations to Associated Press abide by the agreement
provide relief from crippling unless European signatories
U.S. sanctions. ei, dismissed the Israeli alle- volved. Even Netanyahu's po- offer it a respite from sanc-
Hassan Nasrallah, leader of gations as a "lie." None of the parties is be- litical opponents support tions. In recent weeks, Iran
the Iran-backed Hezbollah, Israel has also blamed Iran lieved to be seeking war, the operations, which are shot down a U.S. military
vowed to retaliate after a for recent rocket fire from but the potential for miscal- aimed at preventing Iran surveillance drone and has
drone crashed on the mili- the Gaza Strip, and on culation could lead to a re- from establishing a perma- been blamed for mine at-
tant group's Beirut media Monday struck a Palestin- gional conflagration. nent military presence on tacks on six oil tankers near
office and another explod- ian base in Lebanon near ISRAEL the Syrian frontier. But they the Strait of Hormuz, some-
ed midair early Sunday. Is- the Syrian border. Israel says it is responding have questioned his mo- thing it denies. Iran has also
raeli forces along the bor- Israel views Iran as its great- to increasingly aggressive tives in making them pub- seized a British-flagged oil
der with Lebanon are on est threat, and has hailed moves by Iran and seeking lic, with some accusing him tanker.
high alert, raising fears of a President Donald Trump's to roll back its regional en- of grandstanding, in what At the same time, Teh-
repeat of the 2006 war. Ne- decision to withdraw from trenchment. As Netanyahu they suggest is an attempt ran has launched a fresh
tanyahu has warned Nas- the 2015 nuclear deal and fights for an unprecedent- to win over voters ahead of diplomatic offensive, with
rallah to "relax," saying Is- re-impose sanctions. But ed fifth term in the Sept. 17 the elections. Foreign Minister Moham-
rael "knows how to defend Netanyahu may fear the elections, he is eager to dis- "There is definitely a more mad Javad Zarif making
itself and how to pay back U.S. is moderating that play his security credentials aggressive line now, even a surprise appearance at
its enemies." approach after Trump and discuss what many if Israel isn't saying so offi- the G-7 summit in France
The Israeli leader has also said there's a "really good Israelis see as his signature cially," said Amos Harel, an as part of a worldwide tour
addressed Gen. Qassem chance" he could meet achievement — counter- Israeli military analyst. "Part ahead of next month's U.N.
Soleimani, head of Iran's with Iran's president. ing Iran and its nuclear pro- of it has to do with the in- General Assembly.
elite Quds Force and the The two close allies already gram. creased Iranian efforts and Experts say Iran seeks sanc-
architect of its regional en- appear to be at odds Israel has carried out hun- part of it has to do with all tions relief and not war, but
trenchment, telling him to over recent strikes on Iran- dreds of airstrikes against the other considerations." are alarmed by the po-
"be careful with your words linked militias in Iraq. In a Iran-backed forces in Syria Netanyahu's opponents tential for miscalculation,
and be even more care- rare move, U.S. officials ac- since the civil war began have hammered him for either by Tehran or its foes.
ful with your actions." Israel knowledged that Israel was in 2011. In recent months it refusing to strike harder at Iran has spent decades
said Soleimani mastermind- behind at least one of the has gone increasingly pub- the Islamic militant group building up powerful allies
ed the alleged drone at- strikes, and the Pentagon lic with the campaign, im- Hamas after recent rocket in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and
tack. Another command- pointedly distanced itself mediately confirming the fire from Gaza. Netanyahu elsewhere, which it could
er in Iran's Revolutionary from the Iraq strikes, say- kinds of strikes it used to also faces a tide of corrup- call upon in a war with Is-
Guard, Gen. Mohsen Reza- ing U.S. forces were not in- rarely acknowledge. tion allegations that have rael or the United States.q