TEHRAN: After three days off, folks in Tehran returned to work as regular on Saturday, however with a lingering cloud of concern that hovering tensions between Iran and its arch foe Israel may tip over into struggle.”I don’t know who is at fault and who is not, but it is better to reach a compromise so that the war does not begin, and innocent people don’t die,” mentioned Maryam, a 43-year-old non-public sector employee.Like most Iranians, Maryam has been following the information a couple of stand-off between Iran and Israel since a strike hit Iran’s consulate in Damascus on April 1.The assault, which Tehran has blamed on Israel, killed seven members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps, together with two generals.Iran has since vowed to punish Israel for the assault, with out specifying how.The USA and different nations have urged restraint.Ties frayed additional on Saturday, when Iran seized an Israeli-linked ship within the Gulf.Israel then issued a warning that Iran would “bear the consequences for choosing to escalate the situation any further”.The Iranian reformist newspaper Shargh mentioned on Saturday that “the longer Tehran’s response is delayed, the more it has negative consequences on the country’s economy and intensifies concerns in society”.This uncertainty has weighed on the return to highschool for college students after the lengthy holidays that comply with the Iranian New Yr, celebrated on March 31 — in addition to the tip of Ramadan.”God willing, our government will favour reason over emotion,” mentioned Salehi, a 75-year-old retired authorities worker in central Tehran.”If that is the case, there should be no conflict,” he advised AFP.- ‘Struggle is at all times dangerous’ -However different Tehran residents would really like the federal government to have a stronger response than was seen after earlier killings of Iranian troopers blamed on Israel.”This time we must respond to it with more seriousness and determination,” mentioned Yusof, a 37-year-old non-public sector worker.Ehsan, a 43-year-old college professor, mentioned it was “logical” to retaliate, as a result of the Israelis “attacked an Iranian diplomatic building” in Syria’s capital Damascus.”War is always bad and worrying — a person who has experienced war would never support it, but sometimes to achieve peace, a war is necessary,” he added.Ahmad Zeidabadi, an skilled in worldwide relations, mentioned “it seems that the authorities have not yet made a final decision, as it will probably have serious consequences”.Tehran has to additionally take into consideration any response’s impression on public opinion, which seems to at present be extra involved about financial difficulties than by the struggle in Gaza, he mentioned.”The possibility of war worries business leaders, in particular those who depend on the rate of foreign currencies,” Zeidabadi advised AFP.”Some of them fear that it will cause a shortage of food.”In an indication of those fears, Iran’s rial has plunged to a historic low of round 650,000 to the US greenback on the black market.The federal government additionally faces “a dilemma” on a strategic degree, mentioned Ali Bigdeli, a tutorial specialising in worldwide affairs.”Israel’s attack can drag Iran to the edge of an unwanted war,” Bigdeli advised the reformist newspaper Ham Mihan.”Entering the war and attacking Israel from Iran’s territory is in the interest of Israel,” he mentioned.It may provide Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “a justification for the Gaza war, and will end the Gaza war in the shadow of the war with Iran,” he added.Former Iranian deputy overseas minister Hossein Jaberi Ansari mentioned that Tehran “should choose the least costly and at the same time most profitable option to respond to Israel”.”The most legitimate target for an Iranian strike would be Israel’s security and military installations in the territories occupied since 1967, particularly in the Golan Heights,” he mentioned.
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