Israel Matzav

Iranian act of war

Israel's Channel 10 cable television reported last night that Iranian revolutionary guards have been found among Hezbullah guerillas slain by the IDF (Hat Tip: Kranky in the civilized world).

It said the Iranians were identified by papers found on their bodies, but gave no further details on how many were discovered or when.

Neither the Israeli military nor Hezbollah representatives in Beirut had immediate comment on the report.

Iran, like fellow Hezbollah patron Syria, insists its support for the Shiite guerrilla group is purely moral.

Israel said many of the rockets being fired against its civilian and military targets are Iranian made, and that Hezbollah fighters taking on its forces trained in Iran.

When I first saw this report, several hours ago, my reaction was "so what else is new today." Perhaps that reaction was too subdued, as pointed out by "Captain" Ed Morrissey:

If confirmed, the deployment of Iranian military forces would allow Israel to treat Iran as a combatant in the war....

This will complicate the global communiy's efforts to appease Teheran on the various peace proposals. It will make clear that the war in southern Lebanon is not a heroic native resistance but a cowardly proxy attack on Israel ordered by the Iranians. France will once again have to eat Foreign Minister Phillipe Douste-Blazy's description of Iran as a "stabilizing force" in the region.

Of course, it really changes little on the ground. Douste-Blazy may have tried blowing sunshine up Teheran's burka and Kofi Annan can pretend that Israel is the only obstacle to peace in the region, but everyone knows that Iran authors terrorism throughout the region, especially Hezbollah. Hassan Nasrallah wouldn't blow his nose without a green light fron his sponsors in the mullahcracy, and apparently not without some Iranians on hand to ensure that Nasrallah doesn't screw up.

Will Israel escalate against Iran? Probably not....

Certainly not with Abu Dana (Hat Tip: Atlas Shrugs) in charge.

Read the whole thing.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 12:18 PM