Days after Iran attacked Israel with a combination of drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles, more than 300 total, analysts are trying to draw conclusions. What does it all mean?
"Iran had been conducting a shadow war for about 45 years. This is really a game-change in the Middle East," said Chris Mitchell, the region's bureau chief for CBN News.
Does the game change so much that major players are more involved? How will U.S., China and Russia respond?
Ryan Helfenbein, Liberty University's vice president for communications, on Monday tried to tamp down "last days" talk in an interview on American Family Radio. Josh Hammer, Newsweek's senior editor-at-large, backs him up.
"I don't think this is going to be World War III. That's the most important point to make," Hammer said Tuesday on American Family Radio. Hammer told show host Jenna Ellis that Iran, having toned down its public rhetoric after the attacks, shows the regime thinks it might have overplayed its hand.
"This was an unprecedented attack. They were clearly trying to overwhelm the Israeli air defenses," he argued. "But the fact that in that moment they shifted away from their bellicose rhetoric suggests to me that they are actually, on a certain level, scared.
"They'd be a lot more scared and a lot more nervous if the Biden administration was committed to doing the right thing here, standing with our allies. I don't think this is going to unravel that much farther," Hammer added.
But there will be more unraveling. The drama isn't finished.
"Israel's going to have to do something. They can't just sit there and take it," Hammer said. "Israel's going to have to strike back in some capacity just to restore its deterrent power."
Quick coalition assembles for Israeli defense
According to multiple media outlets, the Israeli response was assisted by the U.S., Britain, Jordan, France and Saudi Arabia. Part of that response included a Jordanian royal family member.
"There was remarkable cooperation from countries like Jordan; and it seems like Saudi Arabia was involved as well, providing intelligence, maybe some anti-missile defenses as well," CBN News Middle East Bureau chief Chris Mitchell said on Washington Watch Monday.
He added: "It's been reported that actually the daughter of King Abdullah in Jordan shot down about six of these projectiles as well. It was just really unprecedented cooperation between many countries to bring this anti-missile defense surrounding the Jewish state."
Israeli support for the war against Hamas – not necessarily political support for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – has remained strong. Mitchell told show host Jody Hice he believes the attacks by Iran will only strengthen that support.
One question in support for Israel is what will be the next move from the U.S.? Biden had just delivered ultimatums to Netanyahu, demanding more protection for Palestinians and aid for Gaza as the Israelis pursue Hamas.
"I think there is unprecedented unity," said Mitchell. "Ever since Oct. 7 we've seen that; and now, here with the Iranian attack, I think Israelis will gather together like never before.
"Hopefully they'll have the support at least tactically from the United States. [Israelis] don't appreciate the fact that the United States has tried to restrain them in their military operation in Gaza for several months. The Israelis want to make sure they eliminate Hamas as a threat on their southern border and Hezbollah on the northern border and if necessary, Iran to the east."
More 'ironclad' commitment from Biden
The White House issued a statement Saturday following the attacks in which Biden sought to "reaffirm America's ironclad commitment to the security of Israel." The ironclad commitment has limits. A day later, Biden told Netanyahu that the U.S. would not take part in any counter-offensive against Iran.
Rep. Mark Alford (R-Missouri), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, blasted Biden's response.
"This is a weak, failing president who is trying to hobble the state of Israel," said the GOP lawmaker. "We have had a close friendship with Israel for 80 years now – and for this president to try to hamstring a sovereign nation from defending itself and preventing it from being attack again by Iran, it's ridiculous.
"If this president doesn't want to knock out select targets in Iran, which I feel like we should be doing, that's one thing. But to tell Israel that it should not be going another step forward to defend itself and try to deter further attacks is beyond ridiculous; it's shameful," he told Hice.
Biden's response aside, the U.S. House is pushing ahead with an aid package for Israel this week. Speaker Mike Johnson told Fox News Sunday that details are being considered and ironed out.
"We understand the necessity of standing with Israel. We're looking at the options and all these supplemental issues," Johnson said.
The Iranian attack is believed to be in response to an alleged Israeli attack on a consulate in Syria being used by the Quds Force of Iran's Revolutionary Guard. The group is used by Iran to manage its proxies around the region, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Bob Maginnis, the Family Research Council's senior fellow for national security, told Hice. Two generals and others were killed in the attack.
The landscape in the Middle East has changed
Israel's rapid response of coalition support intercepted 99% of Iranian drones and missiles, according to an Israel Defense Forces statement. Hammer called that response "miraculous," but in the aftermath analysis there's a mixed bag of reactions, Maginnis said.
"They not only fired from Iran, but they fired from Iraq, Syria and Yemen. That made for a complex aerial battle that ensued, in spite of the fact that the Iron Dome and David's Sling as well as our own Patriots and F-15s, the U.S. Carney, an Arleigh Burke [class destroyer] in the [Mediterranean Sea] were engaging these targets," he explained.
"It was good news that those systems worked but bad news that this has really changed the formula going forward. In fact, I think the Iranians feel emboldened," Maginnis offered.
The attack was carefully planned by Iran and sends a chilling message.
"The drones came in with the lights on, so there wasn't any secret about that. It was meant for psychological persuasion of the Israeli people, but at the same time, a very clear message – and that is: Iran from its own territory can reach out and touch Israel. That is the first time we've ever seen this," Maginnis said.
No fatalities were reported, but "it's not a sustainable situation where a civilian population must be forced to relying on air defenses to make sure they're not blown out of their homes," Hammer said.
Biden approach is facilitating Iran's objective
Like Maginnis, pro-Israel activist Gary Bauer finds it significant that Iran launched a direct attack against Israel. But he argues the Biden administration has enabled it to happen. Bauer is chairman of the Campaign for Working Families and serves on the executive board of Christians United for Israel.
"The Iranian move is extraordinarily significant. It's the first time that Iran has launched directly from its own territory a direct attack on Israel – and that is an act of war," Bauer tells AFN.
"And while I'm happy the Biden administration cooperated with Israel during the attack, I'm outraged that, once again, the administration thinks the most important thing it can do is restrain our ally, Israel.
"We know Iran's goal is the abolition of the state of Israel," Bauer emphasizes. "Whether the Biden administration realizes it or not, they're enabling that goal to be accomplished by continuing to threaten and lean on our Israeli ally."
