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Washington Examiner Article by Mike Brest

Esper: Iranian response to Haniyeh assassination could resemble April aerial assault

By

Mike Brest

July 31, 2024 4:24 pm


The world is watching and waiting to see how Iran will respond to the overnight assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, a senior Hamas leader, in Tehran, which Israel is widely believed to be responsible.

“Worst case, it’s probably a multi-pronged attack, a combination of Hezbollah responding and Iran responding, probably the militia groups as well,” former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper told the Washington Examiner. “And I would assume, again, it would be some type of combination of missile, rocket and drone strikes against Israeli facilities.

In April, Iranian forces launched about 300 rockets, missiles, and drones at Israel following an Israeli strike on an Iranian consulate in Syria that killed a senior Iranian commander and other senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Israel, with the help of several allies, including the United States, were able to intercept nearly all of them.

“It’s hard to tell, but I think would look something along those same lines if, if they decide to go that route, they may decide to go another avenue, maybe attack Israeli facilities” outside the country, like an embassy.



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