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Iran's Ominous Attack on Israel
(Wall Street Journal) Editorial - Iran's drone and missile assault on Israel Saturday night is an open act of aggression. It's an escalation of the war Iran has been waging against Israel for months through its Middle East proxies. The difference now is that Iran's imperialistic face is in the open rather than in the shadows, and that should change calculations in Washington. Iran's weekend attack should be clarifying to Western leaders about Iran's malevolent intentions. Iran's bombardment wasn't discriminate or limited to military targets, unlike Israel's precision strike that killed the IRGC generals. President Biden had warned Iran not to attack after U.S. intelligence detected signs of preparation in Tehran. "Don't," Mr. Biden said. But Iran went ahead anyway. White House theories of escalation management don't work against a regime that thinks a U.S. president fears escalation more than Iran does. U.S. restraint since the Oct. 7 massacre has encouraged Tehran to see how much more it can get away with. Imagine how Iran would behave if it acquires nuclear weapons. It is also a messianic regime bent on spreading Shiite revolution. Such a regime might be all too willing to risk Armageddon to destroy the Jewish state. "Take the win," Mr. Biden reportedly told Mr. Netanyahu. But is it a win if Iran can directly attack Israel without consequences? Israel shouldn't have to wait in a defensive crouch until Iran decides to attack again. Israel is justified in attacking Iran's assets, including military targets in Iran.