Israel's damp-squib attack on Iran must have delighted Biden

Perhaps, at last, Binyamin Netanyahu actualy listened to Joe Biden. A major attack on a sensitive target in Iran, with loss of life and huge damage, would have undermined everything Biden has been trying to do - ie calm things down and return to getting the war in Gaza back to talking about the release of hostages and a six-week ceasefire. By most accounts, all Netanyahu did by way of retaliation for the 300 missiles and drones fired by Iran against Israel was to order a few drones to be launched against a military base near Isfahan and against Tehran's proxy force in Iraq. Very interesting that the drones fired on the base in Iran were launched from inside Iranian territory. Israeli special forces or some proxy anti-Tehran military unit? No one seems to know. But the result was that Tehran was able to dismiss the strikes as inconsequential and made it clear there would be no further retaliation. At least for now. This means that Netanyahu no longer has the distraction of dealing with Iran directly and, as promised by the Israeli leader, moves will start soon to assault Rafah, the southern Gaza town where the remaining Hamas leaders are hiding. Netanyahu will no doubt feel that he did what Biden had requested re hitting Iran gently and can now go ahead and ignore his entreaties to do dothing about Rafah. This already targeted town is likely to get the full works. The images of destroyed houses and apartments and injured children which had covered the front pages of newspapers and on television during the assaults on Gaza City and Khan Younis will be back big time. Then the brief honeymoon period between Netanyahu and Biden will be over.