Out of the shadows A Pandora's box has been opened, and this crisis is far from over
The Guardian Weekly|April 26, 2024
Israel’s retaliation was surprisingly limited. Iran minimised the significance of last Friday’s air attacks on a military base near Isfahan and other targets, denying they were externally directed.
Simon Tisdall
Out of the shadows A Pandora's box has been opened, and this crisis is far from over

Usually voluble Israeli spokesmen fell strangely silent. It was as if a tacit bilateral agreement had been made to play down the affair – to quietly de-escalate. Both countries required that honour be satisfied – but wanted to avoid another noisy public row. Each has fired directly at the other, causing symbolic damage. Now they are signalling it’s over – at least for the time being .

If true, it’s a huge, though possibly temporary, relief. It suggests that intense US pressure on Israel to exercise restraint, abetted by Britain and others, paid off. President Joe Biden had urged Israel to “take the win” after Iran’s unprecedented, large-scale air attack on 13 April was successfully repulsed. Its leaders didn’t wholly concur. It is not in Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s DNA to turn the other cheek. In the event, his measured response reflects enhanced US leverage. Crucial US assistance in defending Israel could not be ignored.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM THE GUARDIAN WEEKLYView all
If kids get protected from online harm, how about the rest of us?
The Guardian Weekly

If kids get protected from online harm, how about the rest of us?

The Australian government has proposed a ban on social media for all citizens under 16.

time-read
3 mins  |
November 29, 2024
'It's not drought - it's looting'
The Guardian Weekly

'It's not drought - it's looting'

Spain is increasingly either parched or flooded - and one group is profiting from these extremes: the thirsty multinational companies forcing angry citizens to pay for water in bottles.

time-read
10+ mins  |
November 29, 2024
Life in the grey Zone
The Guardian Weekly

Life in the grey Zone

Neonatal care has advanced so far that babies born as early as 21 weeks have survived. But is this type of care always the right thing to do?

time-read
10+ mins  |
November 29, 2024
Out of tune? Band Aid under fire for Africa tropes as it turns 40
The Guardian Weekly

Out of tune? Band Aid under fire for Africa tropes as it turns 40

Forty years ago this month, a group of pop stars gathered at a west London studio to record a single that would raise millions, inspire further starry projects, and ultimately change charity fundraising in the UK.

time-read
3 mins  |
November 29, 2024
Deaths shine spotlight on risks of drinking on party trail
The Guardian Weekly

Deaths shine spotlight on risks of drinking on party trail

Vang Vieng is an unlikely party hub. Surrounded by striking limestone mountains and caves in central Laos, it morphed from a small farming town to a hedonistic tourist destination in the early 2000s.

time-read
3 mins  |
November 29, 2024
Different strokes My strange and emotional week with an AI pet
The Guardian Weekly

Different strokes My strange and emotional week with an AI pet

Moflin can develop a personality and build a rapport with its owner - and doesn't need food or exercise. But is it comforting or alienating?

time-read
5 mins  |
November 29, 2024
Strike zone Waking up to the rising threat of lightning
The Guardian Weekly

Strike zone Waking up to the rising threat of lightning

When the Barbados National Archives, home to one of the world's most significant collections of documents from the transatlantic slave trade, reported in June that it had been struck by lightning, it received sympathy and offers of support locally and internationally.

time-read
3 mins  |
November 29, 2024
Cheap pints and sticky carpets: the old-school pub is back
The Guardian Weekly

Cheap pints and sticky carpets: the old-school pub is back

In the Palm Tree pub, east London, barman Alf is taking only cash at the rattling 1960s till.

time-read
3 mins  |
November 29, 2024
Brain gain Can a radical tax scheme convince the country's brightest to stay?
The Guardian Weekly

Brain gain Can a radical tax scheme convince the country's brightest to stay?

In the autumn of 2018, I moved to Lisbon for a month-long course at the Universidade .de Lisboa.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 29, 2024
Fear and sympathy in small town divided over asylum camp
The Guardian Weekly

Fear and sympathy in small town divided over asylum camp

A year after anti-immigration riots, a site for asylum seekers faces hostility while some locals try to help new arrivals

time-read
3 mins  |
November 29, 2024