Last Wednesday, Iran's Revolutionary Guards, using their envoys, attacked Shiite militias operating in Iraq, a U.S. military base in a flurry on the border triangle between Syria, Iraq and Jordan.
The base, which houses hundreds of American troops and also intelligence personnel from Britain and France, was set up to fight ISIS, but is now monitoring Iran's efforts to establish itself in the region.
The base was badly damaged, but no casualties were reported.
It is possible that in the first place this was Tehran's intention - to strike "blessings" and send a message of warning.
Just as Israel treats them in Syria, when it attacks equipment and structures belonging to them, but is careful not to harm the Iranians themselves.
Thanf is a small base, but stuck like a bone in Tehran's throat.
It is located at the point that connects Tehran and Beirut, through Baghdad and Damascus.
It is part of a land route designed to enable Iran to transfer weapons and missiles as well as fighters, not by air or sea, to Hezbollah and other forces loyal to it in Syrian space.
All of this is what the Americans are trying to prevent, albeit not with determination or remarkable success.
Israel also wants to prevent all this by repeated attacks on storage facilities and bases of Shiite militias, which operate under the auspices of Iran in the region.
On other days, an attack on an American base, by Iran or its envoys, caused a great deal of noise.
Such acts, including an attempt to harm the US embassy in Baghdad, led to the assassination of the snake's head, Qassem Suleimani, by the United States in January 2020. But then it was the days of Donald Trump, who wanted to stop Iran and push it, not reconcile it. Trump also believed forgiveness Or looking away from Iran's actions will not lead to calm, but quite the opposite - will only encourage the Iranians.
But in the White House today sits another president, who the Middle East is not at the forefront of his mind, to say the least.
Although the Biden administration has time to quarrel with Israel over the opening of a consulate in Jerusalem, it has no power or desire to confront Iran.
This message was understood in Tehran, hence the initiative and daring to attack the Americans in Syria and Iraq.
The use of drones for the purpose of the attack indicates a capability, and such is only in the hands of Iran and the Shiite militias it operates in Iraq and Syria.
The attack is a test of tools, and it is clear that the lack of any response from Washington will only encourage the Iranians to step up and escalate the attacks.
And finally, when the Americans get tired, as happened in Afghanistan, and they evacuate the base with a bang, there will also be a donor of their other bases in Syria, and later in Iraq as well.
The attack also has a clear message for Israel.
In the absence of the ability to reach Israel itself, the Iranians have chosen to harm the United States, which they see as weaker and more vulnerable and who will not respond.
Last week, therefore, there was a dangerous escalation, heralding a tense and even hot autumn in our area.
The Iranians are still here, determined to continue on their way, and it is to be assumed that Israel's turn will also come after Washington.