President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu had a phone call to discuss Israel’s pending response to Iran’s recent attack, but details of the conversation are limited. Biden assured Israel of its security and condemned the attack. Israel has vowed to make Iran pay for the attack, leading to speculation about the counterattack. Israel has been advised by the U.S. to respond proportionately to avoid escalating the conflict into a regional war.
Security analysts have been considering different strike options for Israel, such as hitting military sites, infrastructure important to the Iranian regime, or even targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities. The U.S. has cautioned against attacking these facilities due to concerns about the repercussions it could have on the region. After a previous Iranian attack, Israel responded by hitting Iran’s air defenses, sending a strong message to Tehran. Experts believe that Israel’s response this time may be more public and involve targeting Iran’s air and missile defense capabilities.
Tensions between the U.S. and Israel have been escalating over concerns about civilian deaths in Gaza and operations against Hezbollah. The U.S. was reportedly kept in the dark about Israel’s alleged pager operation against Hezbollah, which resulted in numerous casualties. Israel has been warned against a ground incursion into Lebanon, but it has defended its operations against Hezbollah as necessary. Despite objections, the U.S. reinforced its troops in the region to support Israel ahead of the Iranian attack.
Questions remain about how the U.S. will support or respond to an Israeli attack on Iran and what type of retaliatory strike Israel will carry out. Israeli Defense Minister Gallant issued a warning to Iran, stating that their strike would be powerful, precise, and surprising. This decision will provide insight into whether Israel envisions the strike as an operation or a campaign and how involved the Biden administration was in the counterattack. Israel may explore options to damage Tehran’s nuclear weapons enterprise while keeping the U.S. on board and signaling vulnerabilities through creative means.
