A senior official with direct knowledge of Israel's military strategy revealed that the country deliberately calibrated its recent strike on Iran to provide Tehran with room for a measured response, according to reporting by Washington Post.
The strike was carefully orchestrated to minimize casualties while allowing Iranian authorities to downplay its significance, according to a person briefed on Israel's strategic planning, speaking to Washington Post on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the information.
"Iran's power humiliates the enemies of the motherland," First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref wrote on social media, exemplifying Tehran's restrained official response to the incident.
The operation represented an expanded version of Israel's April response to Iran's missile and drone barrage, the anonymous source told the Washington Post. During that earlier exchange, Iranian officials had maintained that Israel's strike in central Iran caused no damage.
Saudi Arabia's Foreign Affairs Ministry issued a statement condemning the Israeli action, describing it as "a violation of its sovereignty and a violation of international laws and norms." The ministry urged all parties to exercise restraint, warning that the widening Middle East conflict "threatens the security and stability of the countries and people of the region."
