Home Front lifted restrictions used as a fake out weapon to surprise Iran? - analysis

Did Israel use the IDF Home Front Command as a fake out weapon to surprise Iran with its attack on the country’s Air Force facility at Isfahan early Friday morning?

It was only a few days earlier that the IDF Home Front Command lifted basically all restrictions on normal life in Israel, something which suggested that Jerusalem was not that close to striking back.

This is because if Israel was close to striking back, that would make another counter-strike from the Islamic Republic more likely, in which case it would be dangerous and foolish to lift Home Front Command restrictions which could expose Israeli civilians to more risk in the event of an Iranian attack.

And yet, Israel decided to lift the restrictions, and now Tehran has been hit – apparently by Israel.

A false impression that Israel would not strike back 

This would seem to suggest that Israel intentionally used lowering the Home Front Command warning status – knowing that Iran closely follows Israeli media – in order to get the ayatollahs to lower their guard and then carry out a surprise attack.

If Iran, in fact, does not attack back because the strike on Isfahan was limited and did not hit Iranian nuclear assets, this gamble by Israeli officials might be praised later as a stroke of genius.

Israeli officials could also say that with schools closed down for Passover break, there are naturally fewer large civilian gatherings at this time.

And unless Iran is counter-fooling Israel, its initial reaction has been to tell its own civilians to return to regular routines, which at least initially suggests a non-reaction.

However, if Tehran does strike back and more civilians are killed because of the lack of Home Front Command restrictions and readiness, there will probably be another commission of inquiry into how the restrictions were manipulated in the course of these events.