Inside Story

Will Iran respond to ‘Israeli attacks’?

Israel is reported to have hit targets linked to Iran in Syria, Lebanon and Iraq in recent days.

Israel has been blamed for a string of attacks against Iranian-allied forces in three countries over the weekend, raising tensions across the Middle East.

Early on Monday, three Israeli air raids reportedly hit a base belonging to a Palestinian group in the Lebanese town of Qusaya near the border with Syria.

Those attacks came a day after two drones caused damage in Lebanon‘s capital, Beirut.

One hit a building housing the media office of Iranian-backed Hezbollah in the city’s southern suburbs.

Another drone exploded in the air, in the same area.

On Saturday, Israeli forces carried out drone attacks in Syria, while an Iraqi paramilitary blamed Israel for carrying out a deadly drone attack on Sunday, killing one of its fighters.

Israel did not respond to accusations that it killed a fighter from Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces, but Benjamin Netanyahu says an operation in Damascus which triggered Syrian anti-aircraft fire, was to prevent a drone attack on Israel by Iran.

Is Israel escalating tension with Tehran?

Presenter: Martine Dennis

Guests:

Seth Frantzman – Middle East analyst at Jerusalem Post

Mohammad Marandi – Political analyst and professor at University of Tehran

Sami Hamdi – Editor-in-chief of the National Interest journal