Israel will reportedly carry out a "very significant retaliation within days", officials privy of the developments in Tel Aviv said on Wednesday. This comes a day after Iran launched an onslaught of nearly 200 ballistic missiles targeting Israel on Tuesday night.
Israel will likely target Iran's major oil producing facilities and may even launch an attack on Iran's major power plants. If indeed this happens, it will deal a crippling blow to Iran's already-strained economy due to US sanctions while also dealing a blow to its infrastructure and energy security. Israel may further target other strategic locations across Iran.
After Iran's ballistic missile attack – the sharpest escalation since the start of the Israel-Hamas war a year ago – Israel and Iran are on the brink of opening a new and far more dangerous front to the West Asia crisis.
HOW ISRAEL MIGHT RESPOND TO IRAN'S MISSILE ATTACK
While Israel has vowed to retaliate strongly to the missile attack, Iran has also pledged to hit back again if Israel responds to Tehran's missile attack with force. To this, Tel Aviv has reportedly said that if Iran responds with a second attack, then Israel will explore all options available to it, including obliterating all of Iran's nuclear facilities.
According to a news report in Axios, Israel would then also consider the option of airstrikes across Iran's strategic facilities to decimate its infrastructure while also launching covert operations across Iran – like the one that killed Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
In an exclusive interview to NDTV, Israeli Ambassador Reuven Azar said "I believe the response (to Iran's missile attack) will be very structured, strategic and pin-pointed or precision attacks."
Senior Israeli officials believe that the response could also be in the form of "targeted killings of extremists and radicals". Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's direct address to the people of Iran, saying "Israel stands with you. You will soon be free" is being seen by many as a veiled message indicating a regime change in Iran.
A DARE TO ISRAEL
Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has already been moved to a safe house at an undisclosed location. News reports claimed that the recent ballistic missile attack on Israel was a direct order from the Supreme Leader, which was then cleared by the top decision-making body in Tehran.
Iran's Supreme Leader however, has openly challenged Israel by reportedly saying that he will be leading thousands of Iranians for Friday's Islamic prayers in Tehran. This can be seen as a dare to Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described Iran's missile attack as a "big mistake" and said Tehran would pay for it. "Iran made a big mistake and will pay for it. The Iranian regime does not understand our determination to defend ourselves and our determination to take revenge on our enemies," he had said.
Calling it a "severe and dangerous escalation," Israeli Defence Forces or IDF spokesperson, RAdm. Daniel Hagari had said, "There will be consequences. We will respond wherever, whenever and however we choose, in accordance with the directive of the government of Israel."
