Iran says it has the right to defend itself after Israeli strike killed soldiers

Liz Doucet
Chief international correspondent

The big question now is “what will Tehran do next?”

In the war of words, some Iranian statements suggest a pause. Iranian state media hailed progress in repelling Israeli attacks, which they said caused only “limited damage.”

The Foreign Ministry said Tehran recognizes its “responsibility for regional peace and security.”

Foreign Minister Sayed Abbas Araghchi has scored several diplomatic victories recently, including stops in Arab capitals that previously kept Tehran nervously at bay.

However, Iranian diplomats do not take responsibility in the Islamic Republic. Those who are doing this, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, may want to seek a violent response.

But Israel’s latest attacks may have damaged its air defenses in ways that have opened up new vulnerabilities.

And retaliating ahead of an unpredictable U.S. election could raise the risk that the U.S. could be drawn into this confrontation—an escalation that Tehran wants to avoid.

President Biden said last week that he sees an opportunity to “deal with Israel and Iran in a way that will end the conflict for a while.”

But even if Iran and Israel decide to draw a line under this, for now it is clear that this dangerous new chapter is not over.