Israel could strike Iran as soon as today; Jewish state weighs retaliation that will not stoke war
Israel’s response to Iran’s weekend missile attack could come as soon as today as the nation’s war cabinet convened to hammer out the timing and scope of the impending counterstrike, according to a report.
On Sunday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned his US counterpart, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, that the Jewish state has “no choice” but to retaliate against the rogue Islamic Republic after it launched hundreds of missiles and suicide drones into Israeli airspace Saturday night, according to Axios correspondent Barak Ravid.
World leaders, including President Biden, have urged Israel to be measured in its response, expressing fears of escalating the conflict even further.
Iran’s aerial assault was in retaliation for an Israeli airstrike in Damascus on April 1 in which a top Iranian general was killed.
Israel — working with a coalition of unlikely allies, including the US, the UK, France, Jordan and Saudi Arabia — was able to stop 99% of the 350 weapons launched by Iran. None of the drones or cruise missiles struck Israel, and only a few of the ballistic missiles made it through, according to the Jerusalem Post.
War cabinet member Benny Gantz has called for a swift response, CNN reports, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has held off on giving the green light as international pressure mounts.
Biden reportedly told Netanyahu that the US will not provide support for a counterattack against Iran.
“You got a win. Take the win,” the president reportedly said.
However, all options remain on the table as the war cabinet debated the nation’s next move, running the gamut from diplomatic to military, including precision strikes against key Iranian oil infrastructure or even a cyberattack campaign, the Wall Street Journal writes.
According to the Washington Post, Netanyahu has requested the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) draw up a battle plan highlighting potential retaliatory strike targets that would “send a message” without causing mass casualties, intended to reduce the risk of the conflict mushrooming out of control.
Leading up to Iran’s attack, Netanyahu faced a growing chorus of concerns from allies about the humanitarian situation in Gaza resulting from Israel’s war against Hamas which began Oct. 7.
Acting too hastily or too aggressively could potentially squander any international goodwill Israel has garnered in the wake of the attack by Iran, which is widely considered a pariah on the global stage.
“This is an opportunity to create a new American-led regional security alignment against Iran, if we can take advantage of it,” former Israel National Security Council chief Chuck Freilich told the outlet.
The debate over how and when to strike back at Iran prompted Israel to delay a long-anticipated military incursion in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, the Times of Israel reported Monday.
