Israel has decided to strike Iran "clearly and forcefully," and is currently readying its warplanes for the operation, according to a report on Monday. The reported decision follows two war cabinet meetings where leaders of Israel discussed how to react to a barrage of 350 suicide drones and missiles on Saturday.
Israel's Channel 12 news aired the report, which received widespread coverage in local media. According to Channel 12, Israel's air force, equipped with US-made F-16, F-15, and F-35 fighter jets, is already preparing for a retaliatory strike against the rogue Islamic nation, although no specific timeline was given. Israel's attack on Iran could lead to WWIII, several experts believe.
Israel Readies for Counterattack
As per the report, the intended strike aims to send a message that Israel "will not allow an attack of that magnitude against it to pass without a reaction." The unsourced report also mentioned that Israeli leaders are hopeful that the response will not escalate into a broader conflict.
President Biden and allies have reportedly urged Israel to show restraint, with Biden reportedly telling Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu that the US would not support a retaliatory strike.
Israel's military chief, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, confirmed on Monday that Iran's actions "will be met with a response," but refrained from providing further details or indicating a timeline.
At a White House press briefing on Monday afternoon, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby described Iran's missile attack against Israel as "a spectacular and embarrassing failure."
He said that the key US ally is now in "a far stronger strategic position" than before the attack. Kirby refrained from answering questions about whether the US anticipates being briefed ahead of an Israeli military response.
"That is an Israeli decision to make. Whether and how they'll respond to what Iran did on Saturday we're going to leave squarely with them."
Fears of Broader Conflict Escalate
According to Axios correspondent Barak Ravid, on Sunday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant cautioned his US counterpart Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. Gallant conveyed that the Jewish state has "no choice" but to retaliate against the rogue Islamic Republic following its launch of hundreds of missiles and suicide drones into Israeli airspace on Saturday night.
Iran's aerial assault was reportedly in retaliation for an Israeli airstrike in Damascus on April 1, which resulted in the death of a top Iranian general.
Israeli media subsequently revealed that the target of the strike, General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, was a key planner of the October 7 attack on southern Israel, which led to the deaths of over 1,100 people and triggered the conflict in Gaza.
Israel, collaborating with a coalition that included the US, the UK, France, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia, successfully intercepted 99 percent of the 350 weapons launched by Iran.
According to the Jerusalem Post, none of the drones or cruise missiles reached their targets in Israel, and only a small number of ballistic missiles managed to penetrate the defenses.
The deliberation regarding how and when to retaliate against Iran led to Israel postponing a long-awaited military operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, The Times of Israel reported on Monday.
