This is new and interesting. The long flight time of the weapons over a significant distance makes information about them a component of the operation. A direct kinetic strike from a sovereign state is a different sort of beast than those that have roamed the neighborhood for decades. Just past dinner time here- in the early zulu hours out there. There is some commentary about the size and duration of the attack and what it means in escalation and in response.

The dynamics are unclear. Do the Mullahs consider this only a retaliation for the Israeli strike on the IRGC in Syria? Are there only relatively conventional small payloads from UAV’s? A test or demonstration on saturation of Israeli air defenses? Could or will there be some coordination by local proxies?

There is some comment that this may be less than the initial shock, and clearly retaliation is only now being calculated. And what exactly is next?

– Vic