Hours after an Israeli fighter aircraft struck an air defense radar site inside Iran, top U.S. and Israeli officials remained silent on the incident to de-escalate the situation. Secretary of State Antony Blinken declined to address the strike at the end of a G7 foreign ministers meeting and stated that the United States was not involved in any offensive operations. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani suggested that the U.S. was informed before the strike, but had no involvement in it.
According to a senior U.S. official, Israeli fighter aircraft fired three missiles at an air defense radar site near Isfahan that protects a nearby nuclear facility. The limited strike was intended to show Iran the ability to cause significant damage without provoking a response. Iran downplayed the strike, calling it an exaggeration by the media, and the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed no damage was done to the Natanz nuclear facility. Experts likened the strike to Israel sending a message to Iran about its capabilities.
Former deputy secretary of defense for the Middle East, Mick Mulroy, stated that the Israeli attack was carefully calculated to target a sensitive facility in Iran without provoking a response. Both the U.S. and Israeli governments remained quiet on the incident following the strike, with no official statements or briefings. The silence was seen as a strategy to de-escalate tensions and prevent further conflict. The White House emphasized the desire to avoid escalation of the conflict with Iran.
The lack of public acknowledgment of the strike by U.S. and Israeli officials was unusual, considering a close ally’s direct attack on Iran. The silence from both governments was interpreted as an effort to prevent further escalation of the situation and avoid sparking a larger conflict. U.S. officials reiterated their goal of preventing a war and maintaining stability in the region. The intentional avoidance of commenting on the incident was seen as a strategic move to keep the situation under control.
