Israel Decides How to Respond to Iranian Attack

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has made a decision regarding its response to the unprecedented air attack by Iran on the night of April 14. This was reported by The Jerusalem Post, referencing several sources.

The sources confirmed to the publication that the Israeli military cabinet has oriented itself on “how it will retaliate against Iran and its proxies, but no timing has been set for it.”

“Because timing can vary, and due to all the complex preparations required, the current decision may change. However, the development of the decision itself demonstrates the seriousness and determination of Israeli leadership to deliver a retaliatory strike, although everything suggests that Jerusalem continues to strive to mitigate the attack to avoid escalation to a regional war,” the publication stated.

The authors of the article noted that a clear reading of important signals suggests that a major strike is not unavoidable in the coming days and may even be delayed for a longer period.

Regarding the nature of the potential strike, the publication indicated that the following scenarios are likely: a hard strike targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities, a medium strike hitting objects related to drones or ballistic missiles directly involved in Iran’s attack on Israel, and “more limited options” such as “the elimination of certain individuals or punishing IRGC officials abroad together with their accomplices, or combining some of the aforementioned with a major cyberattack.”

The Israeli military cabinet convened for the third time on April 16 following the Iranian attack on Israel to discuss the IDF's possible response. Earlier, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari, speaking at the “Julis” military base near Kiryat Malachi, pledged that “Iran will not go unpunished for this aggression.” This statement was previously echoed by the Chief of Staff of the Israeli Defense Forces, Herzi Halevi.

Meanwhile, Israeli military cabinet member Benny Gantz stated that Israel would be guided by when and how to strike back while working with the U.S. on a global and regional coalition against Tehran, as reported by The Times of Israel.