by Ben Pursel

The commander-in-chief of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Hossein Salami greenlit Operation True Promise with the delivery of nearly 300 explosive ordinances into Israeli-controlled airspace on the evening of April 13.

The strike, reported to be retaliatory in nature, was prompted by the April 1 bombing of the Iranian embassy in Damascus, Syria, by Israel. The attack killed 16, among them two Syrian civilians and 14 Iranian officials, including Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi. Zahedi was the most senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to be assassinated since the death of Major General Qasem Soleimani on January 3, 2020, at the hands of a United States UAV.

While close to 99% of the 350 missiles and suicide drones were intercepted above Israel with 25 more cruise missiles shot down above Jordan, one Israeli girl was critically injured in the bombing and is currently under intensive medical care at the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba.

Only hours after the bombardment commenced, Iranian diplomat to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, stated that the matter “could be deemed concluded” and that Iran would take “stronger and more resolute” action if Israel were to “make another mistake,” according to the Wall Street Journal. Commanding Officer Salami said in a report to Iranian media that the attack was “more successful than expected.” 

President Joe Biden, in an official White House statement, reaffirmed “America’s ironclad commitment to the security of Israel.” Later he stated his intention to “convene my fellow G7 leaders to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Iran’s brazen attack.” 

Internationally, the retaliatory strike has been harshly denounced by Germany, India, Canada, Australia, Japan, Russia, Turkey, the European Union, and the United Nations, with many more stressing the importance of acting with restraint as to not escalate the situation any further.