After Israel's Retaliation Against Iran, What Comes Next?

After Israel’s Retaliation Against Iran, What Comes Next?

TEL AVIV, ISRAEL – APRIL 14: (—-EDITORIAL USE ONLY – MANDATORY CREDIT – ISRAELI MINISTRY OF DEFENSE – ARIEL HERMONI / HANDOUT’ – NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS – DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS—-) The Israel’s war cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (2nd L), meeting is held to discuss the drone attack launched by Iran in Tel Aviv, Israel on April 14, 2024. (Photo by Israeli Ministry of Defense / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Posted: April 19th, 2024

By Tom Nagorski

Tom Nagorski is the Managing Editor for The Cipher Brief. He previously served as Global Editor for Grid and served as ABC News Managing Editor for International Coverage as well as Senior Broadcast Producer for World News Tonight.

SUBSCRIBER+ EXCLUSIVE REPORTING — For nearly a week, the Middle East and much of the world were on a knife’s edge, waiting for a promised Israeli retaliation to the April 13 attacks carried out by Iran. When the response came early Friday, in the form of drone strikes near the Iranian cities of Isfahan and Tabriz, there was a collective sigh of relief in Washington, the capitals of Europe and in the Middle East as well.

The Israelis hit a military air base near the city of Isfahan, in central Iran, and Iranian officials said another group of drones had been shot down in the Tabriz region, some 500 miles north of Isfahan. But Iran reported no Israeli warplanes in its airspace, no heavy bombings, and only minimal damage. Perhaps as important, there were no inflammatory statements from either side. For the moment at least, it appeared the much-feared escalation and wider war had been avoided.

Access all of The Cipher Brief’s national security-focused expert insight by becoming a Cipher Brief Subscriber+ Member.