Hezbollah attempt to down IDF drone, blast near Israeli embassy in India signal that Iran axis is taking greater risks with Biden in office.
Hezbollah fired an anti-aircraft missile at an Israeli drone on Wednesday but missed, the IDF said. The UAV was on a routine mission in Lebanon and continued as planned, the army said, without elaborating.
Firing the missile was a dangerous move for Hezbollah as shooting down a drone would likely trigger an Israeli response and possible escalation.
The incident shows that group chief Hassan Nasrallah is now willing to take more risks in confronting the IDF, Arab affairs journalist Hezi Simantov tweeted. The Iran axis is closely watching the Biden Administration’s conduct at this time, he wrote.
Iran assessing US resolve
The Iranians and their proxies will likely continue to provoke Israel on different fronts soon. Tehran’s top priority is the nuclear issue, but adopting an aggressive posture against Israel will enable Iran to further assess the attitude and resolve of the new US government.
The latest incident in Lebanon follows a bombing near Israel’s embassy in New Delhi last week. A note at the scene linked the blast to the killing of Iranian leaders and threatened that more attacks are coming. This was another sign that Iran now feels confident to make provocative moves while leaving room for deniability.
A veteran analyst warned that the attack in India marks the beginning of a global terror campaign against Israeli targets. The firing of the missile in Lebanon suggests that Israel could soon be facing attacks closer to home.
