srael’s retaliation was surprisingly limited. Iran minimised the significance of last Friday’s air attacks on a military base near Isfahan and other targets, denying they were externally directed. Usually voluble Israeli spokesmen fell strangely silent. It was as if a tacit bilateral agreement had been made to play down the affair – to quietly de-escalate. Both countries required that honour be satisfied – but wanted to avoid another noisy public row. Each has fired directly at the other,
