"Security expert Hans-Jakob Schindler calls the action unusual. After the killings of Hamas leader Ismail Haniya and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, the Iranian regime must assume that its security measures, which were long considered adequate, are no longer sufficient. “Israel has been interested in eliminating Nasrallah for years, but has been hesitant to attack Nasrallah directly,” says the expert from the international Counter Extremism Project. There have already been threats: While the Israeli Air Force was preparing its attack on Nasrallah's bunker in Beirut on Friday evening, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a speech to the UN General Assembly in New York that "the long arm of Israel" could reach any place in Iran . His "message to the tyrants of Tehran" was: "If you attack us, we will attack you."”
 

"Edmund Fitton-Brown, Senior Advisor to the Counter Extremism Project and former Ambassador of the UK to Yemen, told MailOnline: 'Any successful upgrade of Houthi capabilities would also likely draw a kinetic Israeli response.'"

"Born in Lebanon in 1964, Safieddine has been part of Hezbollah since it was founded in 1982, according to the Counter Extremism Project, an advocacy group based in Washington. The US designated Safieddine a “specially designated global terrorist” in 2017."

CEP Senior Advisor Edmund Fitton-Brown: "Edmund Fitton-Brown, Senior Advisor to the Counter Extremism Project and former Ambassador of the UK to Yemen, told MailOnline early Wednesday that the claims are 'very concerning if true' and appear 'credible' so far as Iran and Russia are 'locked in a rejectionist-disruptor embrace'."

“…Almost all members of the military chain of command around Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah have been killed. Security expert Hans-Jakob Schindler sees this as a particular problem for the Shiite militia: "If this Israeli campaign continues, it will lead to a slow but very painful reduction in command capabilities for Hezbollah." At the moment, it is therefore unclear who could succeed Ibrahim Akil. According to Schindler, there are currently too few battle-tested leadership personnel within the militia.”

“Lebanon's health minister says thousands have been injured after pagers used by the Hezbollah militia group exploded simultaneously. Hezbollah fighters and medics are among the wounded. Several deaths have also been reported. Hezbollah says it's investigating the cause of the blasts. Security expert Hans-Jakob Schindler told DW that it's "unlikely to be a production mistake or an accident.””

CEP Senior Research Analyst Josh Lipowsky writes: "I joined hundreds of Argentinians and delegates from around the world outside the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA) in Buenos Aires last month to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the bombing on July 18, 1994, which killed 85 people and wounded 300 others."

"Edmund Fitton-Brown, Senior Advisor to the Counter Extremism Project and former Ambassador of the UK to Yemen, told MailOnline this evening 'it could all very easily spiral out of control'.

'In essence, I think Iran and Israel would both prefer to avoid escalation out of control,' he said.

'But Iran (and Hezbollah) both want to be seen to respond to the Israeli assassinations.

'Calibrating such responses in such a way as to save face and yet avoid escalation gets more difficult with each successive round of skirmishing.

'The US is also part of this picture, seeking both to restrain Israel and to deter Iran,' he said."

"Edmund Fitton-Brown, a former senior United Nations counterterrorism official who is a senior adviser at the Counter Extremism Project, a non-governmental organisation, warned it appeared to be getting 'harder and harder to prevent escalation each time'."

"Sir Ivor Roberts, senior adviser to UANI and the Counter Extremism Project (CEP), also spoke to The Sun about a possible retaliation to this week's developments."