A reported Israeli counterattack to Iran's unprecedented salvos sparks the next urgent question: what will Iran do next?
Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi had vowed that the “tiniest invasion” by Israel would bring a “massive and harsh” response.
This is uncharted territory in a tortuous history of shadow wars and covert attacks between two states with abiding official enmity.
Iran's military chiefs have spoken of a “new equation” ever since Israel’s 1 April airstrikes on its diplomatic compound in Damascus killed seven Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps officials, including its most senior commander in the region.
Tehran says its old doctrine of “strategic patience,” of playing a longer game when its assets and individuals are attacked, has ended.
Now it’s “strategic deterrence” – a readiness to hit back hard immediately.
In these first fateful hours, Iranian officials are speaking of no direct attack, no damage. Their next move may depend on how they cast this latest shot in this spiralling tit for tat.Hours after the reports of attacks on Isfahan in Iran, there is a reaction from the UK.
Downing Street says its understanding is that the source of the strikes on Iran has not been officially confirmed.
But the prime minister’s office says Israel has a right to self-defence, and added “we have been stressing to Israelis that what matters now is de-escalation".
So far there is no official statement from Israel that is claiming the responsibility for the attack, but the US officials who spoke to the US media say that Israel conducted the strikes.
