How will Israel strike back after a missile attack by Iran? Here are the objectives
The missile attack has brought Israel and Iran closer than ever before to opening a new and much more dangerous front. | File photo: PTI
Israel plans to launch a “significant retaliation” within days to Tuesday’s ballistic missile attack by Iran, which could target oil production facilities in Iran and other strategic locations, Israeli officials told the Axios news site on Wednesday.
Iran has threatened that if Israel responds with force to the nearly 200 missiles it launched on Tuesday, it will attack again. If that happens, Israeli officials have reportedly said that all options will be on the table, including attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
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Iran fired a salvo of ballistic missiles into Israel on Tuesday evening, saying it was in retaliation for attacks that killed leaders of Hezbollah, Hamas and the Iranian military, with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claiming it had “killed a large number of people intercepted”. “of them.
The missile interceptions were carried out by missile defense systems of Israel and the United States (US). The missiles that were not intercepted mostly landed in open areas near an air base in southern Israel, the headquarters of Israel’s Mossad spy agency and a military intelligence base north of Tel Aviv, according to reports.
The IDF revealed that there were “isolated” impacts in central Israel and several more in southern Israel.
The Iranian attack reportedly killed a Palestinian from Gaza in Jericho in the West Bank. Meanwhile, only two Israelis were slightly injured by falling shrapnel and debris.
The missile attack has brought Israel and Iran closer than ever before to opening a new and much more dangerous front in the conflict that has engulfed West Asia (Middle East).
What will be Israel’s response to the Iranian missile attack?
Iran’s oil facilities are a likely target, several unnamed Israeli officials told Axios.
However, some of them said that targeted killings and disabling Iran’s air defense systems could also be possible.
In addition, Israel’s response to Tuesday’s attack could include fighter jet airstrikes as well as clandestine operations similar to the one that killed Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran two months ago.
What if Israeli retaliation prompts more Iranian attacks?
As previously mentioned, if Iran sticks to its threat to attack again in response to an Israeli retaliation to Tuesday’s rocket attack, Israeli officials indicate that Israel could opt for further escalation.
In such a scenario, they say that all options, including attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities, will be on the table for Israel.
“We have a big question mark about how the Iranians will respond to an attack,” an Israeli official told Axios. “But we are considering the possibility that they could go all-in, which will be a completely different game,” the referee added.
As the first wave of Iranian ballistic missiles made their way to Israel, the country’s security cabinet reportedly met in a bunker in a mountain near Jerusalem, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled Israel’s next move.
“Iran made a big mistake tonight and it will pay for it,” Netanyahu warned in a video released by his office.
“…We will stick to the rule we have established: whoever attacks us, we will attack him,” Netanyahu continued.
Speaking to Axios, two unnamed Israeli officials said that while Tuesday’s cabinet meeting ended with an agreement that Israel would respond militarily, there was no clear decision at the time on what that response would be.
According to a senior Israeli official, one of the reasons why no decision was made at the meeting was because Israel wants to consult with the US.
The report added that while Israel will respond on its own, it wants to coordinate its plans with the US because of the strategic implications.
Specifically, Israel knows that another Iranian attack in response to an Israeli retaliation will again require defensive cooperation with the U.S. military, along with more U.S. weapons for the Israeli air force and other operational support.
What is the US position on the Iranian missile attack?
US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that the US and Israel are discussing the response to the Iranian attack and “it remains to be seen” what the outcome will be.
According to the Axios report, a US official said that in talks between the Biden administration and the Israeli government on Tuesday, the US made clear its support for an Israeli response, but also that they believe retaliation should be measured.
While President Biden said he will speak to Netanyahu about the response, an Israeli official reportedly said their call could take place on Wednesday, hours before the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah.
How did Israel respond to the Iranian attack in April?
Iran’s missile and drone attack on Israel in April, which was also successfully repelled by a coalition of Israel, the US and other allies, was responded to with a very limited Israeli strike on an S-300 air defense battery in Iran.
While this limited response ended the exchange of direct attacks at the time, Israeli retaliation will be much more significant this time, Israeli officials have reportedly said.
First publication: Oct 02, 2024 | 3:43 PM IST