2024 Iran–Israel conflict

In 2024, the Iran–Israel proxy conflict escalated to a brief period of direct confrontation between the two countries. On 1 April, Israel bombed an Iranian consulate complex in Damascus, Syria, killing multiple senior Iranian officials. In response, Iran and its proxies seized the Israeli-linked ship MSC Aries and launched strikes inside Israel on 13 April. Israel then carried out retaliatory strikes in Iran and Syria on 19 April.

The Israeli strikes were limited, and analysts say they signaled a desire to de-escalate. Iran did not respond to the attack, and tensions de-escalated back down to the proxy conflict.

Other actors participated in the conflict as well. The United States, United Kingdom, France, and Jordan intercepted Iranian drones to defend Israel. Syria shot down some Israeli interceptors, and Iranian proxies in the region also attacked Israel.

Background
After the Iranian Revolution in 1979, Iran took a more critical stance on Israel, and a proxy war emerged as Iran supported Lebanese Shia and Palestinian militants during the 1982 Lebanon War. Iran began to gain power and influence with other countries and groups. The conflict evolved with Israeli attempts to stop the Iranian nuclear program and confrontations during the Syrian civil war.

Tensions during the Israel–Hamas war
On 7 October 2023, Hamas, a Palestinian militant group partially funded by Iran, launched an attack on Israel resulting in the deaths of almost 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians, and the outbreak of the Israel–Hamas war. Israel also skirmished with Iranian proxy Hezbollah in Lebanon. After the attack, Israel began targeting Iranian and proxy troops in Syria more frequently as retaliation. Fears of a regional war grew in the following months.

On 25 December, Razi Mousavi, an Iranian commander, was killed in a targeted Israeli airstrike at his residence in Sayyidah Zaynab, 10 km south of Damascus, amid the Israel–Hamas war. Mousavi's assassination marked the highest-ranking killing of a senior Iranian military official since the targeted assassination of Qasem Soleimani, until the subsequent killing of Mohammad Reza Zahedi in 2024.

On 20 January 2024, Sadegh Omidzadeh, along with four other Iranian officials, Ali Aghazadeh, Saeed Karimi, Hossein Mohammadi, and Mohammad Amin Samadi, was killed during a meeting at a building in the Mezzeh district of Damascus. The Israeli airstrikes, as reported by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, resulted in the complete destruction of the building, leading to the death of at least 10 military personnel.

Israeli bombing of Iranian embassy (1 April)
On 1 April, Israel bombed the Iranian embassy in Damascus, Syria. The attack killed 16 people, including multiple Iranian officers and proxy fighters. Most notably, Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a commander for the Quds Force was killed in the airstrike. Iranian officials in the building were allegedly meeting with Palestinian militant leaders at the time of the attack.

Israeli preparations (2 April – 12 April)
Iran vowed to respond, and Western sources suspected it would attack directly inside Israel. Israel began preparing in the days leading up to the attack, evacuating Israeli embassies and jamming GPS signals in the case of an aerial bombing. France deployed its navy to defend Israel. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates provided Israel with intelligence on the strikes.

Seizure of the MSC Aries (13 April)
On 13 April 2024, the IRGC Navy took control of the Portuguese-registered and Madeira-flagged container ship MSC Aries in the Hormuz Strait where it was boarded by Iranian commandos in international waters off the coast of UAE via helicopter,  then directed to Iranian territory for "violating maritime law". The ship is leased to MSC by Gortal Shipping, an affiliate of Zodiac Maritime, whose principal is Israeli. Following the incident, Israel called on the European Union to sanction the IRGC.

Iranian strikes on Israel (13 April – 14 April)
Early on 13 April, Hezbollah attacked southern Israel with around 40 rockets. Israel responded by bombing a Hezbollah weapons manufacturing site in Lebanon. Al Jazeera said the attack was significant given the conflict.

Later, Iran and its proxies attacked Israel with about 300 drones and multiple ballistic missiles. The Houthis, Islamic Resistance in Iraq, Badr Organization, and True Promise Corps also launched attacks on Israel under Iranian command. Syria shot down some Israeli intercepters. The United States, United Kingdom, and Jordan intercepted over 100 Iranian drones. The drones and missiles eventually hit various cities across Israel, the West Bank, and Golan Heights. The attack also damaged the Nevatim and Ramon airbases. 33 civilians were injured.

Heightened tensions (14 April – 18 April)
Israeli and U.S. officials conducted situational assessments that night. The United States said it would not participate in a retaliatory strike on Iran. Iran threatened that if Israel were to retaliate, directly or indirectly, it would strike back harder. Israel said the attack warranted a response. The United States warned Israel to exercise restraint, and the Israeli war cabinet argued over the scale of Israel's response. Israel delayed plans to start an offensive in Rafah that week so it could determine a response.

The war cabinet continued arguments over the Israeli response during the following week. The cabinet considered military and diplomatic options, with international pressure to de-escalate the situation influencing decisions. On 18 April, it was reported that the United States would greenlight a Rafah offensive in exchange for no Israeli strike on Iran. The U.S. and EU tightened sanctions on Iran.

Israeli response (19 April)
On the morning of 19 April, Israel retaliated against Iran. Israel attacked three targets in or near Isfahan International Airport, including a military base. One of the targets was a radar for the Natanz nuclear site. Iran claimed that its air defense shot down all Israeli projectiles and that the explosions were from air defense, but satellite images showed a destroyed air defense battery and damage to the radar system. Israel did not comment or claim responsibility for any attack. In southern Syria, SAA bases were targeted, leading to material losses. Explosions and fighter jets were also heard in Iraq, and debris from an Israeli missile was found in central Iraq, suggesting Israel fired from there.

Aftermath
Iranian state media downplayed the Israeli strike. Iranian officials have said there was no planned retaliation against Israel. An anonymous source told CNN that direct state-to-state strikes were over. Analysts say the attack and Iranian reaction showed that both sides want to de-escalate, but that Israel has the capability to inflict more damage in a full-scale war.