Deputy of the American Foreign Policy Council Think Tank: Proxy War Between the Islamic Republic and Israel Will Intensify

Eliot Berman, the deputy of the American Foreign Policy Council think tank, said on Wednesday that the coordination between the Islamic Republic and Hezbollah in Lebanon, as well as other proxy forces like Hamas, indicates that the proxy war between Iran and Israel will heat up. In an exclusive interview with VOA, he referred to the explosion incident on Wednesday in Kerman, stating, "We still do not know exactly what happened, but the Tehran regime wants to imply that this attack was carried out by Israel, a claim that I believe is not true." He also noted the anniversary of Qassem Soleimani's assassination, saying, "The killing of Soleimani four years ago had very serious consequences, but what the Trump administration did not do at the time, and the Biden administration has also failed to do, is to follow up and focus on the remnants of the regime's proxy forces after Soleimani's death. The result has been that the Iranian regime has been able to once again unite these forces as part of its power." Berman described the current situation between Israel and Hezbollah as "abnormal" and emphasized, "The terrorist group Hezbollah is Iran's main proxy force, and we are currently witnessing that the conditions between Israel and Hezbollah have moved out of the normal state, and it is highly likely that the next point of conflict for Israel will be on the northern front with Hezbollah." Berman concluded by calling for an increase in the United States' deterrent power against the Islamic Republic's proxy forces, stating, "In my opinion, the current U.S. administration has not acted strongly enough in pushing back against the Tehran regime's proxy groups, and such inaction will have dire consequences, especially for the global economy. Therefore, the Biden administration must reassess its deterrence and enhance its deterrent capabilities in every possible way." On the anniversary of Qassem Soleimani's death, while over 100 attendees, including at least six children, were killed in the explosion during a government ceremony in Kerman, images sent to VOA show that some citizens opposed to the Islamic Republic have burned images of Qassem Soleimani in various cities in Iran. Matthew Miller, the spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, said on Wednesday, January 3, at a press conference, "We are following the reports, but we do not have independent information to provide about them." He also added, "We express our condolences to the victims and their loved ones who lost their lives in this horrific explosion. As I said, it is still too early for us to say what caused it." The State Department spokesperson, referring to "some irresponsible claims" by Iranian officials, said, "First, the United States has not been involved in this matter at all, and any reference to it is contrary to reality and ridiculous." Matthew Miller also emphasized, "Second, we have no reason to believe that Israel is involved in this matter." John Kirby, the coordinator for strategic communications at the National Security Council, also expressed condolences on Wednesday for "all innocent victims and their family members," emphasizing that there are still many details about these bombings that are not known. He added, "We have no information about this and no further details about how it occurred or who might be responsible. I can only tell you that we have no indication of Israel's involvement in this matter." Pouran Nazemi: All institutions of the Islamic Republic must be held accountable for the massacre of defenseless people in Kerman. Who is responsible for the Kerman explosions on the anniversary of Qassem Soleimani? Debate between Saeed Qasemi-Nejad and Sadegh Zibakalam. Video attributed to the moment of the first explosion at the Qassem Soleimani anniversary ceremony in Kerman. Exclusive; Senior Middle East analyst: Israel is not responsible for the Kerman explosions. Exclusive; Slavine: The Kerman explosions are a sign of a rift in the Islamic Republic's intelligence apparatus. U.S. condolences to the survivors of the "horrific" Kerman explosions; Germany condemned the terrorist act. Reactions to the Kerman explosions; users: "It's the government's doing." The explosion at the government ceremony for the anniversary of Qassem Soleimani; the death toll has risen to over 100.