New Delhi: After Israel with US support successfully defended Iranian missile attack last Saturday through its super-efficient ballistic missile defence (BMD), the bloody war between the two eternal rivals will be played through non-state actors rather than a direct counter from Tel Aviv as there is no strategic objective for horizontal escalation for either side.
The Iranian attack, which was visible at least two days before the actual firing of ballistic missiles and drones, was a counter to the Israeli attack on its Damascus consulate annex in which 16 people including one senior Quds force commander were killed. The visible movement of Iranian missiles and drones gave enough notice to the US, Israel and Jordan to prepare the BMD against the oncoming strike.