What Happened
An Israeli intelligence assessment has concluded that Iran was behind an attack on an Israeli vessel near the Gulf of Oman and that Iran would launch subsequent attacks against Israeli civilian and commercial targets, Ynet reported Feb. 28. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later said it was "clear" that Iran was behind the attack.

Why It Matters
Iranian-linked attacks will remain a significant threat to Israeli civilians and commercial entities for the foreseeable future and could impact everything from commercial shipping in the Persian Gulf to civilians and businesses in Israel. The threat of attacks will be most pronounced in the Persian Gulf and Levant given their proximity to Iran, but recent Iranian-linked plots in India and East Africa show the threat is global.

Background
On Feb. 28, Israel conducted airstrikes against Iranian-linked targets around Damascus, which Israeli media described as retaliation for the vessel attack. In addition to sabotaging commercial vessels, Iran has launched cyberattacks against water infrastructure and rocket attacks on military bases in recent years.