There are estimates in Israel that Tel Aviv will launch an attack on Iranian strategic sites within days, after Iran’s missile retaliation on Tuesday evening.
Iran fired dozens of missiles at Israel (180 according to Tel Aviv's estimate), causing injuries and material damage and closing the airspace, while millions of Israelis rushed to shelters while sirens sounded throughout the country. It said that it was “a response to Israel's assassination of Ismail Haniyeh and Hassan Nasrallah and its massacres in Gaza.” And Lebanon.”
Israel announced that it would respond to the Iranian attack, but without specifying the time or nature of the response. Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari said yesterday, Tuesday, that the Iranian attack is a “dangerous escalation and there will be consequences.”
He continued – in a press conference – that “our action plans are ready. We will decide how, when and where to respond, in accordance with the government's instructions.”
The Hebrew “Wala” news website reported – today, Wednesday – that “Israel is expected to attack strategic sites in Iran within days.” He quoted unnamed Israeli officials as saying, “One of the targets of such an attack may be oil facilities.”
He added, “Israel may also carry out assassinations of senior Iranian officials without taking responsibility or destroy Iran's air defense systems, especially those that protect its nuclear facilities.”
He continued, “The Israeli attack may be through air strikes launched by fighter jets, in addition to secret operations such as those that killed Haniyeh in Tehran two months ago.”
Following the Iranian response, the Israeli Cabinet for Security and Political Affairs held a meeting yesterday, Tuesday, that lasted several hours.
Two senior Israeli officials revealed that the meeting concluded that there would be a major Israeli military response against Iran, but “without a clear decision on what the response would be,” according to the website.
The website quoted a senior Israeli official as saying, “One of the reasons why a decision was not taken at the cabinet meeting is that the Prime Minister’s Office wanted to hold a coordination round with the American administration.”
He added, “While Israel will respond independently to the Iranian attack, it wants to coordinate its plans with the United States because of the strategic implications of the situation.”
Also, “another Iranian strike in response to the Israeli response will require defensive cooperation with US Central Command, and may require additional air force ammunition and perhaps other forms of US operational support,” according to another Israeli official.
Tehran confirmed – yesterday, Tuesday – that its response to Israel is “legitimate and legal,” and threatened it with “more devastating attacks” if it attacks Iranian sites.
Threats of a wide regional war are escalating in the region, as a result of Israel’s insistence on continuing its war on the Gaza Strip and its aggression against Lebanon, in addition to the raids it launches from time to time on Syria and Yemen.