What options does Israel have to retaliate against Iran?

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his immediate war cabinet are considering what action to take after Iran’s attack on Saturday.

Allies, including the United States, have urged Israel not to risk provoking a broader regional conflict, and President Joe Biden has made clear that the US military would not engage in any retaliatory strikes on Iran.

Here are some options Israel could consider:

air strikes

Israel could respond to the Iranian attack with air strikes of its own, particularly because Iranian air defenses are thought to be much less developed than the multi-layered system that Israel and its allies deployed on Saturday night.

An Israeli Air Force official said in a briefing with reporters that the air force is ready to defend Israel and added: “Part of the defense is to react and attack when needed.”

“And this has been placed before our government and cabinet and they have to decide how, when and what,” the official said.

Such an attack could hit strategic facilities, including Revolutionary Guards bases or nuclear research facilities.

Former intelligence officials say this would be less likely to impact civilian infrastructure such as power plants and avoid civilian casualties. This would be both to ensure that there is no further loss of international support and also due to an assessment that Iranian authorities are vulnerable to political repression and popular pressure over the dire economic situation. Significant civilian casualties would be considered likely to rally Iranian public support behind the government.

Israel could also attack proxy groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon or Iranian targets in countries such as Syria and Iraq. However, the fact that this is the first time Iran has directly attacked Israel suggests that any such action would be part of a broader response that would also target Iran.

cyber attack

Israel is believed to have carried out a number of cyberattacks on infrastructure ranging from petrol stations to industrial plants and nuclear facilities in Iran over the past few years, and a retaliatory strike is considered one of the possible options for retaliation.

Any such attack could interfere with highly visible sectors such as energy production or flight services. Like direct air strikes, former intelligence officials say they believe Israel will avoid attacks on infrastructure such as hospitals to minimize the impact on the general population.

covert operation

Israel is believed to have previously conducted several covert operations inside Iran, including the assassination of several of its senior nuclear scientists.

Such operations can be conducted both inside and outside Iran.

Diplomacy

In addition to military and intelligence attacks against Iran, Israel is stepping up diplomatic efforts to isolate Tehran, including increasing sanctions. Foreign Minister Israel Katz has also pressed European countries to join the United States in declaring Iran’s Revolutionary Guards a terrorist organization.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)