Iran has been on edge for nearly a month, and Israel's retaliation has finally arrived. At around 1 a.m. local time, the Israeli military began precise strikes against Iran's military departments in response to recent attacks by Iran on Israel. This is the most intense strike Tehran has faced since the Iran-Iraq War.

Precision strikes with rapid resolution. According to Israeli media reports, the Israeli military launched three rounds of strikes against Iran and its allies within hours, deploying over a hundred fighter jets. The targets were clearly defined. The first wave aimed to "blind" Iran. Israeli fighter jets focused on attacking the air defense systems and radars in Iran, Iraq, and Syria, destroying Iran's situational awareness systems and clearing the path for subsequent strikes. The second and third waves targeted military objectives. The Israeli Air Force conducted precise strikes on dozens of strategic targets within Iran, including missile manufacturing facilities, drone research and production plants, and surface-to-surface missile launch sites.

Limited damage caused. Iranian media reported that some of the explosions were the sounds of Iran's air defense systems intercepting incoming targets, and no explosions occurred at the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps military center located in the west or southwest of Tehran. The Iranian military stated that the air defense systems functioned effectively, "most of the Israeli attacks were intercepted, causing only limited damage to certain areas."

The attack was measured. Previously, due to the delayed Israeli retaliation, there were speculations that Israel might target Iran's energy facilities or even nuclear facilities, with the possibility of using nuclear weapons without restraint, causing a surge in international energy prices and a heavy nuclear shadow over the Middle East. However, from the current situation of this attack, unlike the previous bluster, Israel only used conventional weapons, targeting only military objectives, and did not touch nuclear facilities or oil and energy infrastructure. They immediately announced the end of the attack after it occurred, leaving considerable room for retaliation. This sends a clear signal: this is a measured punishment. Israel aims to demonstrate deterrence, declaring to the Middle East and the world that Israel is not to be trifled with, while also stopping at the edge to prevent an all-out war that could spiral out of control.

Why is the retaliation so restrained? Since Iran launched a large-scale ballistic missile attack on Israel earlier this month, Israel has repeatedly vowed to retaliate. As a country in the Middle East that has established its deterrence through strength, Israel has always been quick to settle scores. Why, this time, did it take several days to respond, and the retaliation was so restrained? The leakage of intelligence delayed the opportunity. On the day of the month, an account named "Middle East Observer" posted two classified documents from the U.S. government on the social media platform "Telegram." These documents indicated that Israel was preparing to strike Iran and detailed the movement of Israeli military ammunition and simulation exercises. The authenticity of the documents was confirmed by U.S. government sources, directly disrupting Israel's military deployment and operational plans. Israel had to readjust its combat arrangements, repeatedly postponing the attack time.

Carefully consider the method of retaliation. Retaliation is inevitable, but the manner of retaliation is not only a decision of war, but also an art of politics. As a close ally of the United States, Israel, while hoping to deliver a deterrent effect in its retaliation against Iran, must be cautious that an uncontrolled escalation of conflict could become a significant issue in the U.S. presidential election, thereby disrupting the U.S.-Israel relationship. Especially as the U.S. election draws near, to avoid being dragged into the quagmire of the Middle East conflict, the U.S. has deployed the THAAD system to reassure Israel, in exchange for a promise from Israel not to attack Iran's oil and nuclear facilities. Therefore, Israel has focused this round of retaliation on military targets, which not only saves face but also meets the demands of the United States. Israel itself also has concerns. Currently, Israel is fighting on seven fronts simultaneously, particularly with its advances in the Lebanon-Israel and Palestine-Israel fronts stalling, which objectively affects Israel's offensive capabilities in other directions. Recently, Iran has united with multiple neighboring countries to achieve a consensus on airspace defense, which also adds more considerations for Israel in choosing its retaliatory methods.

The conflict between Iran and Israel will continue. On a certain date, Iran's large-scale air strike on Israel has essentially opened the prelude to direct military confrontation between the two sides. In the two rounds of较量, Iran and Israel have formed a certain degree of tacit understanding, both adopting a limited war strategy of "large-scale, small-scale damage" and downplaying the effects of each other's attacks. However, this does not mean that the military confrontation between the two sides will cease, but rather marks the beginning of a new round of较量 as both sides accumulate their strength. The confrontation between Iran and Israel will continue in various forms. Iran has no intention of engaging in direct conflict with Israel, and Israel's recent actions have provided Iran with a face-saving opportunity to make a more "dignified" choice. Subsequently, Iran may continue to strengthen its military and intelligence support for the resistance front, demanding that members of the resistance front continue to launch military strikes against Israel on their respective fronts. Against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict between Palestine and Israel and the escalation of the conflict between Lebanon and Israel, Israel's attack on Iran this time is bound to trigger a chain reaction, leading to further deterioration of the conflict between the resistance front and Israel, thereby intensifying the tense situation in the Middle East. Although Israel's retaliation this time was again a mere tap on the brakes, the mutual attacks between Iran and Israel this year have crossed multiple red lines, and the future will see continued overt and covert struggles, with the cycle of violence in the Middle East continuing to unfold.