You're reading an excerpt from The Takeaway, where we break down the latest in US-Middle East diplomacy. To read the full newsletter, sign up here.
WASHINGTON — Israel and Iran appear to be pulling back from the brink of all-out war.
The Israeli military carried out retaliatory strikes against Iran early Friday morning local time in the central province of Isfahan, home to a military airbase and nuclear facility, in what appeared to be a more restrained response than expected to Iran’s drone and missile barrage over the weekend.
State-run media and officials in Tehran were quick to downplay the attack and who was responsible for it, suggesting the Iranians are seeking to avoid another round of retaliation. The two archrivals instead appear headed back to the covert war they have been waging for more than a decade, reports Ben Caspit.