The Daily Beast reports:

Iran’s tightly controlled state media made fun of Israel’s reprisal attack on Friday, claiming that a few drones had been intercepted and no serious damage was done—with a top Israeli minister appearing to agree.

World capitals have been on edge since Iran launched an unprecedented direct attack on Israel last week, with President Joe Biden among those pleading with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to respond with a direct attack on Iran.

Late on Thursday, U.S. rolling news channels switched into breathless global conflict mode as reports emerged that Israel had dismissed the urgent advice of the White House and launched a strike on Israeli soil.

The New York Times reported that Israeli and Iranian officials had confirmed Israel’s military response, writing that sources in Iran claimed a military air base near Isfahan, in central Iran, had been struck. CNN and others quoted American officials saying Israel had carried out a military strike inside Iran.

This was the nightmare scenario that global leaders feared could spark an all-out regional war.

Just hours earlier, a top Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander claimed that Iran would even reconsider its peaceful nuclear doctrine in the face of threats from Israel.

And Iran’s foreign minister appeared on CNN himself to issue a blood-curdling threat over a potential Israeli retaliation. “In case the Israeli regime embarks on adventurism again and takes action against the interests of Iran, the next response from us will be immediate and at a maximum level,” Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said.

What happened next was very different.

As reports of the Israeli attacks grabbed world headlines, an extraordinary segment unfolded on Iran’s pro-regime Press TV, where correspondent Gisoo Misha Ahmadi totally dismissed Israel’s retaliation.

“I would suggest our viewers—if they want to have a good laugh—they can check social media reports from citizens who are there, who are actually making fun of all the commotion that was made by Israeli media about a possible attack,” she said. [Continue reading…]

Patrick Kingsley writes:

Iranian officials said that no enemy aircraft had been detected in Iranian airspace and that the main attack — on a military base in central Iran — had been initiated by small unmanned drones that were likely launched from inside Iranian territory. The nature of the attack even had precedent: Israel used similar methods in an attack on a military facility in Isfahan early last year.

By sunrise, Iranian state-run news outlets were projecting a swift return to normality, broadcasting footage of calm street scenes, while officials publicly dismissed the impact of the attack. Airports were also reopened, after a brief overnight closure.

Analysts cautioned that any outcome was still possible. But the initial Iranian reaction suggested that Iran’s leaders would not rush to respond, despite warning in recent days that they would react forcefully and swiftly to any Israeli strike. [Continue reading…]

James Landale writes:

Israel’s far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, said a few days ago he wanted Israel to “go berserk” in response to Iran’s attack. This morning the minister – upon whose faction the Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, depends – seemed less than impressed. On X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, he posted one word, best translated as: “Lame.”

Israel’s opposition leader, Yair Lapid, hit back hard at this, posting: “A security cabinet minister has never caused such heavy damage to the country’s security, image and international standing. With an unforgivable, one word tweet Ben Gvir managed to ridicule and embarrass Israel all the way from Tehran to Washington. Any other prime minister would have thrown him out of the cabinet this morning.” [Continue reading…]