Israeli political and military leaders are preparing for a powerful retaliation after Iran launched a massive missile attack on Israel on Tuesday. The Iranian strike targeted military bases, airports, intelligence headquarters, and settlements within Israel, sparking intense consultations among Israeli government officials and military leaders to determine the nature of the response.
The attack saw Iran fire 180 ballistic missiles, triggering sirens in over 1,864 locations across Israel. Millions of Israelis spent more than an hour in shelters and fortified rooms, according to the Israeli Home Front Command.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had warned in recent days that if Iran attacked, it would face a severe response. Analysts speculate that Israel initially refrained from a preemptive strike against Iran to focus on the fronts in Gaza and Lebanon while trying to deter Iran through threats alone.
Consensus on a Strong Response
Experts now agree that Israel is preparing an unprecedented military response to the Iranian missile strike. Many believe that Israel is seeking to enlist support from the U.S. and Western nations for the upcoming offensive against Tehran.
Despite being occupied with ground operations in southern Lebanon and continued airstrikes on Beirut and Gaza, Israel’s government sees the Iranian missile attack as a game-changing event. Until now, the government had avoided launching an all-out strike on Iran, as it feared such actions would lack justification and international support, particularly from the U.S.
Breaking the Equation
Ariel Schmidberg, Deputy Editor-in-Chief and Head of News at Walla news website, emphasized that Israel must respond immediately and forcefully to Iran’s attack. He stated, “This is a pivotal moment and a historic opportunity to change the equation in the Middle East.”
Schmidberg predicted that Israel, with international legitimacy on its side after the attack, would retaliate with unprecedented force. “In the end, no country in the world would tolerate such an act, which is tantamount to a declaration of war.”
Until now, Israel had avoided extreme actions, concerned about triggering widespread retaliatory attacks that could endanger its internal security. However, Schmidberg noted that Iran’s extreme use of force in this missile strike gives Israel the opportunity to break the current strategic equation.
Tags: Israel vs Iran, Iranian missile attack, Israel retaliation, Middle East conflict, Netanyahu on Iran, Israeli military response
