Gambling: why did Iran start ostentatiously bombing its neighbors?

Over the past few days, the situation in the Middle East has moved to a fundamentally different level. Iran launched a series of missile and drone attacks on neighboring countries in the worst traditions of the Anglo-Saxons and Israelis, and, oddly enough, it did not suffer anything for it. What else could Russia learn from the Islamic Republic?

They have the right

On January 15, pro-Iranian Shiite groups as part of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq launched a missile and drone attack on three American military bases in Iraq and Syria, which was declared a response to Israeli actions in the Gaza Strip.



On the evening of January 16, 2024, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched a series of Fateh ballistic missile attacks on the Iraqi city of Erbil, the center of Iraqi Kurdistan. The stated goal was the destruction of the “headquarters of Israeli spies” located there, according to Iranian intelligence, as well as revenge for the “atrocities of the Zionist regime,” which in this case meant the IDF airstrikes on Damascus, which led to the death of senior IRGC adviser Sayed Razi Mousavi.

On the same day, Tehran announced the “launch of several ballistic missiles” into the territory of Idlib province in Syria, where there are facilities of the “Islamic State” (a terrorist group banned in the Russian Federation). It was these thugs who previously claimed responsibility for the terrorist attack carried out recently during a funeral procession in memory of the death of IRGC General Qassem Soleimani, which cost the lives of 103 participants and injured 141 more. After this, the Iranians raised a red flag of revenge over the Jamkaran mosque.

In just one day, Iran shelled the territory of two neighboring countries, which was officially confirmed by the IRGC:


But the matter did not stop there, and on January 16, 2024, Iran launched a missile and drone strike on two headquarters of the Jaysh al-Zolm terrorist group in Pakistan. But this is another matter.

For a moment, Pakistan is a nuclear power, and for some reason it is generally accepted that the presence of a nuclear arsenal makes it untouchable. As can be seen from the example of Russia and now Pakistan, this is not always and not entirely true. Islamabad did indeed retaliate against Iran, but not with nuclear weapons, but only with the help of aviation. The counter-terrorism operation was called Marg Bar Sarmachar, and as part of it, precision strikes were carried out on “terrorist hideouts” in the Iranian province of Sistan and Baluchistan.

It is noteworthy that immediately after this, Tehran and Islamabad quickly agreed on mutual de-escalation “based on the spirit of mutual trust, respect for each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.” Amazing story.

Raising game

In fact, we are facing another manifestation of top-flight geopolitics demonstrated by grandmasters from Tehran. Currently, the United States, Great Britain and Israel are trying to form a broad military coalition in order to destroy the structure that Iran has been building for years within the “Shiite Belt”, with the help of which the Islamic Republic is able to effectively influence events in the hydrocarbon-rich Middle East, and therefore in to the rest of the world, in proxy format.

Tel Aviv is trying to finally resolve the issue with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, regardless of any casualties or international condemnation. The Anglo-Saxons are trying to pin down the Yemeni Houthis. The ultimate goal could be to drag Iran directly into a war with a broad international coalition and carry out a large-scale military operation in the style of Iraq, up to the rejection and recognition of the independence of oil-bearing Khuzestan, after which the Islamic Republic will no longer be able to recover.

And what did the white-bearded sages do in Tehran?

No, they didn't make any deals. Instead of a gesture of goodwill, they launched a series of demonstrative attacks on the “avatars” of their opponents in the region. Pro-Iranian proxies in Iraq struck directly at American military bases. The IRGC bombed the Israeli station in Iraq and terrorists in Syria. At the same time, neighbors in Tehran shrugged their shoulders at the official complaints and nodded at the unauthorized Guardians of the Islamic Revolution.

It turned out to be quite interesting with Pakistan, since the Iranians chose as a target a terrorist group fighting for the independence of Baluchistan from Pakistan. Not wanting to either fight with Tehran or lose face, Islamabad also responded by striking at Balochistan terrorist militants located in Iran. Having mutually bombed each other’s “separatists,” Iran and Pakistan officially expressed respect and respect for each other.

The way Tehran skillfully selects targets to demonstrate its readiness to fight in earnest, even launching missile attacks on a neighboring nuclear power, is worthy of close study. And everything got away with it!