it won’t stop – Time

What scenarios open up following Iran’s attack on Israel? Defense Minister Guido Crosetto outlines the path for the next stages of the confrontation in the Middle East in an interview with Corriere della Sera: «I believe I am making an objective analysis. Iran attacked Israel in retaliation for the April 3 bombing of its consulate in Syria that killed a top general in Tehran who was also a liaison to Hamas. They used 250 drones, 100 ballistic missiles and 50 cruise missiles. A very serious and unprecedented attack. 99% of all these attack systems were intercepted and shot down by the Israeli air and anti-aircraft defense system, with the help of the Americans, British and Jordanians. The damage was limited, the attack had been announced for some time and allowed the defense to be prepared. Today Iran considered it concluded.”

Regarding the calls to stop also coming from the G7, Crosetto underlined that «we hope for it and work for it, but it is not that easy. I believe it is unlikely that Israel will stop, given the scale of the Iranian attack, just as it has not stopped in the face of our requests for a truce in Gaza to safeguard the lives of civilians. So – the painful admission – I expect a further response. When we will only see it when it happens. Which oscillates between two options. Israel knows that it cannot accept Tehran becoming a nuclear power because it would totally change the balance in the area and a decisive vulnerability to its security would arise. The hawks in government consider this an unmissable opportunity to strike Iran’s nuclear reactors, also because, despite not being willing to intervene directly, the USA has just allocated the funds to support their military efforts and has declared their total support ».

«We do not want an escalation, nor do we want to justify a type of attack that would lead to a point of no return. A deterrence reaction would be different, in a logic of distant confrontation between historical enemies. For two years – Crosetto vents – we haven’t talked regarding anything but war. I am worried, very much, both on this front and on the Ukrainian one, but I don’t want to give in to pessimism, because my duty is to work to try to avoid crises, in every way. And until the last useful moment.”