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Former Defense Secretary Mark Esper predicted a limited retaliation by Iran following an Israeli airstrike on an Iranian Embassy compound in Syria.
Speaking on CNN’s “The Source,” Esper expressed his belief that Iran would act to preserve its dignity and credibility among regional proxies and satisfy internal hardliner demands. However, he said Iran’s response would avoid escalating the conflict into a broader war.
Former US Defense Secretary Mark Esper, who served under Former President Donald Trump and was in charge of the Pentagon during the US strike that killed Iranian General Qassim Soleimani, said he believes that Iran will limit its attack on Israel.
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On CNN, he said, "They’re not… pic.twitter.com/9GSrC0kUWT
Esper added, “They’re not gonna wanna make this a wider war. They don’t wanna escalate. They know that a major conflict with Israel, let alone Israel and the United States, would be disastrous for Iran. So, I suspect that they will limit the attack to Israel, Israeli targets.”
Meanwhile, the strike, which the US has explicitly denied involvement in, has heightened concerns over Iran’s potential reaction, especially given the recent history of Iranian and Iranian-backed attacks on US interests in the Middle East.
The incident, which took place in Damascus, resulted in the death of seven Iranian military personnel, including two senior members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. This action has led to increased vigilance among US officials, with reports from NBC News and CNN indicating a heightened state of alert for a possible Iranian counterstrike.
