Tensions Soar Between Iran and Israel Following Netanyahu Assassination Attempt

A drone attack by the Iranian-backed Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah, aimed at the private home of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has escalated already sky-high tensions between the two countries. Officials in Teheran were making attempts to distance themselves from the attempted assassination on Sunday, but Israeli officials were already saying that the Islamic Republic would "pay a price" for it.

What no one disputes is that on Saturday afternoon, three drones were fired from Hezbollah controlled territory in Lebanon, with two being shot down over Rosh Hanikra and Nahariya, while the third was pursued by IDF helicopters but managed to hit in Caesarea, doing superficial damage to the Netanyahu's residence, according to a report in the Axios news portal. The Netanyahu's were not home when the drone hit.

Netanyahu issued a statement Saturday evening that “the agents of Iran who tried to assassinate me and my wife today made a bitter mistake.”

Statements by other Israeli officials, both in the governing coalition and the opposition, echoed these sentiments, increasing the already high likelihood of a devastating Israeli strike on Iran to retaliate for the October 1st ballistic missile attack.

Foreign Minister Israel Katz also dismissed Iranian attempts to distance itself from the assassination attempt by saying Hezbollah was acting on its own, declaring that “The primary proxy, the tentacle Iran created, funded, armed, trained, and now controls in all its operations, is suddenly portrayed as an independent entity. Your lies and false pretenses won’t help you — you are responsible.”

In a related story, Iran is receiving increased pushback for its regional agenda, including from Lebanese officials. Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati issued a statement on Friday in reaction to an Iranian statement that the regime in Teheran is open to negotiations with France over implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701.

“We are surprised by this position, which constitutes a blatant interference in Lebanese affairs and an attempt to establish a rejected guardianship over Lebanon,” a government statement quoted Prime Minister Najib Mikati as saying.