In the wake of an airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Syria two weeks ago, tensions have escalated as Israel remains on high alert for a potential retaliatory attack from Iran. The airstrike resulted in the deaths of several senior Iranian military officers, prompting Iran to accuse Israel of being responsible and vowing to retaliate.

Concerns have been raised globally, with many countries issuing warnings to their citizens, advising them against visiting the region due to the growing tensions and fears of an imminent Iranian attack. There are apprehensions that the conflict in Gaza may spread further if Iran carries out its retaliatory threat.

One of the primary factors fueling the tensions is Iran's strong criticism of Israel's military operation in the Gaza Strip. Iran has openly expressed support for those who attack Israelis, including Hamas-led attacks that Israel claims resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people. Israel compiled a video detailing such attacks, including the killing of civilians and the burning of corpses, which has caused an outcry from human rights organizations. Human Rights Watch has called for an investigation into these attacks as potential war crimes.

Iran wasted no time in hailing the Hamas attack as a "victory." Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Nasser Kanani, declared that it was in line with the ongoing victories of the anti-Zionist resistance. Iran remains convinced that Israel was responsible for the airstrike on its consulate in Damascus on April 1, which claimed the lives of seven members of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, including two generals. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied involvement in the attack.

Historically, Iran-Israel relations were not hostile when Iran was ruled by the Pahlavi dynasty. Iran was one of the first Muslim countries to recognize Israel as a new state, and there were even military and security cooperations between the two nations. However, the relations deteriorated after Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution, with the new leadership adopting a strong stance against world powers, including the United States and Israel.

Over time, a hostile rivalry developed between Iran and Israel, especially as Iran funded proxy militias in several countries in the region. Israel prioritized attacking Iran's nuclear program, which Iran insists is entirely peaceful. Iran believes that Israel and the U.S. introduced the Stuxnet computer virus to target Iran's uranium enrichment facilities. Sabotage attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities, as well as the targeting of nuclear scientists, have continued.

President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear agreement in 2018 further strained relations, with Iran viewing it as a victory for Israel. Iran continues to defend the peaceful nature of its nuclear program. However, incidents such as the discovery of uranium particles at undisclosed sites have raised doubts and concerns about Iran's motives.

Iran's support for armed groups targeting Israel, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Palestine, has worsened the situation. Hezbollah has been firing rockets into Israel, while Hamas led the attack in October that triggered the ongoing Gaza war. Iran has also provided support to Houthi rebels in Yemen, who have attacked Israeli targets in support of Hamas.

Adding to the tensions, Iran supports the Syrian regime and allegedly uses Syrian territory to ship weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israel has conducted numerous airstrikes in Syria to disrupt this flow of weapons. The Iranian general killed in the recent consulate attack was seen as a key figure in this logistical chain.

The current situation has led American and Israeli officials to warn of the risk of a direct attack by Iran against Israel. Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has framed the consulate attack as an attack on Iranian territory and has vowed that Israel "must be punished and shall be." Any attack from Iran could trigger a major regional war.

In an attempt to ease tensions, U.S. officials have reached out to allies with closer ties to Tehran, urging Iran to exercise restraint. Similar messages have also been directly conveyed to Iranian officials by the United States.

As the situation remains highly volatile and the threat of a direct attack looms, Israel remains on high alert, closely monitoring the developments and preparing for any potential escalation.