Israel Tries to Assassinate Commander, US Not Notified (Again)
The Israeli Air Force conducted a strike in Beirut targeting Haytham Ali Tabatabai, a Hezbollah commander, with Benjamin Netanyahu confirming the assassination attempt. While Axios highlights it as the 'most significant' strike against Hezbollah since a year-old ceasefire, the 'why it matters' section conveniently omits recent US warnings against escalation. A senior US official tells Axios they
were only informed 'immediately after the strike was carried out.' Another official admitted advance knowledge that Israel was 'planning to escalate its strikes in Lebanon'—just not the 'timing, location or target.' This isn't oversight; it’s a policy of plausible deniability. The US offers a $5 million reward for Tabatabai, yet Israel's 'allies' operate with 24-hour notification. One might wonder
which nation's interests are truly being served here? This pattern of 'informed afterward' or conveniently vague advance notice isn’t new. It mirrors US approval of controversial arms sales, like the recent 100+ arms sales to Israel since Oct 7 , often pushed through with minimal congressional scrutiny. Or perhaps the White House is just too busy giving emotional speeches about 'shared values'
while simultaneously approving billions in aid with zero conditions. How many times will an ally claim 'self-defense' while operating with such evident disregard for protocol, before the world asks: who's really calling the shots in the Middle East?