I was wondering if Iran wasn't just trying to save face by sending over drones that could be intercepted. It would show them responding, but not in a way that would definitely cause immediate retaliation.
I think Iran played the world like a violin, their attack was designed to make it look like they were saving face, but knowing that Israel would respond, they've boxed Israel in as the aggressor who escalates the action.
I think they knew that sooner or later Israel would do a pin point attack which they did in Damascus avoiding all the nearby embassies - Iran's embassy included. The building that housed the Iranian IRGC top level people was called the annex, and Iran refers to it as a consulate which it isn't. It's nearby the Iranian embassy and consulates are in major cities not near the embassy.
Embassies and true consulates are officially off limits because they are considered foreign territory belonging to the country of the embassy. So an attack on Iran's embassy is an attack on Iranian soil, home turf so to speak. (Recall the fact that the Iranians attacked the US embassy in Iran and held hostages in the Carter era- which means they don't care about the rules, unless they can use them)
So long way to say, Israel didn't attack an embassy or consulate and Iran was ready and waiting to use any attack by Israel as "provocation" giving them the opportunity to do a full attack on Israel, while looking like the victim.
I highly doubt Iran used their best efforts with that attack, I also think that they were testing Israel's defences with the hopes that at least some of their missiles (not all were drones, they were using missiles as well) would hit at least some targets. Especially in view of the fact that Dimona in Southern Israel was one of those targets- it is long considered the home of the Israeli nuclear effort.
I also think that Biden and Obama who pulls his strings, are more or less Iranian puppets whether they are aware of it or not. One of the carrots for Biden was avoiding escalation on US soil. Yemen has effectively been able to threaten and halt world shipping without any major US response other than intercepting a few drones. Even Biden's administration must be vaguely aware that Iran pulls Yemen's strings. The Houthis are directly controlled by Iran.
The politics of appeasement that Obama began with the help of his Iranian operatives like Valerie Jarrett, and others that were simply useful idiots like John Kerry laid the groundwork for Iran's expectation that America is actually afraid of their growing power. That illusion was solidified with Biden overturning the ban on lifting Iranian funds out of sanctions, some of which dated back to the American Embassy takeover days under Carter. Trump solidified the ban on giving Iran funds but Biden immediately lifted it.
This means that Iran is confident they can alternately bully, manipulate and pressure America into doing what they want albeit reluctantly.
Israel has been trying to wake the world up from the start, going to the lengths of doing a heist of Iranian documents showing Israel's claims were true. The only president that listened to Israel was Trump.
Iran is playing a long game in all of this. Their main goals are: destroying Israel, America and dethroning Saudi Arabia as the owner of Mecca and Medina (therefore SA controls the world's Muslim population) and bringing in the Mahdi.
This attack would have happened to Israel no matter what the pretext. Once Hamas acted ahead of orders on Oct 6, Iran's carefully orchestrated multiple player attack using Hamas, Hezbollah and Syria fell apart.
Enter plan b Iranian style. That would be to increasingly isolate and demonize Israel in the media around the world and so far it's working. Then when Israel is separated from her largest supporter (America) the attack began.
When Israel defends herself by attacking Iran, she will further irritate her allies around the world for escalating things.
