Israel: Iran to Avenge Soleimani's Death after Biden Assumes Presidency

Two former heads of the Mossad and the former head of the National Security Council in Israel suggested that Iran would not try to avenge the killing of Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani before Joe Biden assumed the US presidency.

In statements to the Jerusalem Post, Shabtai Shavit, who headed the Mossad between 1989-1996, said that "The patience of the Iranians never ends" and that "We must take into account that they will respond, they will wait for an opportunity to attack a high-quality target."

He cited the example of attacks on the Israeli Embassy and the Jewish Community Center in Argentina in 1992 and 1994.

Shavit considered that the killing of Soleimani in January 2020, along with the assassination of the head of the Iranian military nuclear program, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, in November, is a "Double blow to Iran's military activity in the Middle East" from which it has not yet recovered.

He added, "Some say that the policy of assassinations is not useful because one of them leaves and the other comes to replace him. But the level of talent for Soleimani's successor refutes this argument."

Danny Yatom, who headed the Mossad from 1996-1998, agreed that Soleimani's assassination is  "A matter of strategic value."

Yatom added, "There are reports that Iran is looking for an opportunity to attack an Israeli or an American target. I do not say that it is impossible, but they waited for a whole year and did not succeed in taking revenge for one of the most important figures in Iran."

He continued that "This reveals to us the weakness of the Quds Force and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard after the loss of Soleimani."

On his part, the former head of the National Security Council, Giora Eiland, said that Iran "Has no interest today in resuming a large-scale confrontation with anyone, especially two weeks before the presidential transition in the United States."

Eiland added, "So I do not think that anything exciting will happen in the next few days or hours just because it is the anniversary of Soleimani's death."

He clarified, "But Iran feels that at some point, it will have to take revenge, if not against the United States, then it will be against Israel or Israeli interests. They may prefer to do so after Biden comes to power, as Trump is unpredictable."

It is noteworthy that the inauguration ceremony of US President-elect Joe Biden will take place on the twentieth of this month.