newsIsrael at War

Washington believes Jerusalem has narrowed down Iranian target list

The United States is of the opinion that Israel will likely focus on Tehran's military and energy infrastructure, but not nuclear facilities or assassinations.

An Israeli Air Force fighter jet taking off for a mission. Credit: IAF.
An Israeli Air Force fighter jet taking off for a mission. Credit: IAF.

Jerusalem’s target list for its retaliatory attack against Iran will likely include military and energy infrastructure, but not nuclear facilities or assassinations, NBC News reported on Saturday, citing American officials.

However, the sources stressed that Israel has not decided on the type or timing of strikes.

The Jewish state has vowed a significant response to Tehran’s second-ever direct attack on Oct. 1, in which over 180 ballistic missiles were fired at Israel from Iranian soil. The Israeli military with the assistance of the United States and Jordan shot down most of the missiles, with the sole casualty of the attack being a Palestinian man from Gaza who was struck by falling missile debris near Jericho.

The damages from this month’s Iranian missile attack are estimated at 150 million to 200 million shekels ($40 million-$53 million), according to an initial assessment by the Israel Tax Authority published on Sunday.

Since the Oct. 1 attack, approximately 2,500 claims have been submitted to the Israeli government, including some 2,200 instances of damage to buildings and 300 claims of damage to vehicles and their contents.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Oct. 9 that Israel’s strike “will be powerful, precise and above all—surprising,” adding that the Islamic regime “will not understand what happened and how it happened.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the Iranian ballistic missile barrage as “a big mistake,” one that it “will pay for.”

“The regime in Tehran does not understand our determination to defend ourselves and to exact a price from our enemies,” the premier said.

Security Cabinet meeting on Sunday

Israel’s Security Cabinet convened on Oct. 10 to discuss the response to the Iranian attack but did not authorize Netanyahu and Gallant to determine a course of action. On Saturday, an Israeli official told CNN that the prime minister would hold another Security Cabinet meeting on Sunday to discuss the retaliatory measures.

Jerusalem and Washington are closer to a consensus on the scope of Israel’s planned retaliatory strike on Iran, Axios reported on Thursday, citing three U.S. and Israeli officials.

While the current plan is more aggressive than Washington seeks, the gap between Netanyahu and U.S. President Joe Biden narrowed during their call on Wednesday, according to a senior Israeli official.

Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president, joined the two leaders on the call, during which Biden “affirmed his ironclad commitment to Israel’s security” and “condemned unequivocally Iran’s ballistic missile attack against Israel on Oct. 1,” per a White House readout of the call.

Biden had previously said that he would oppose an Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear and oil infrastructure, suggesting that such an attack would not be “proportional” to the 180-plus ballistic missiles that the Islamic Republic fired at Israel.

Nevertheless, a U.S. official told Axios that the allies were “moving in the right direction” in terms of solidifying an attack plan, with another American source confirming the administration was less concerned about the prospect.

In this respect, Israel’s Kan News public broadcaster reported that Biden has offered Israel a “compensation package” if it refrains from striking certain targets in Iran, including “extensive diplomatic backing and additional military aid.”

An Israeli official told Kan, “We consider the United States to be our ally and are always ready to listen. At the same time, we will do all that’s necessary to protect the citizens of Israel and the security of Israel.”

Iran anxious about an Israeli attack

Tehran has informed the United States and some Middle Eastern countries that it will retaliate against an Israeli attack, an Iranian source with knowledge of the diplomatic discussions told CNN on Saturday.

However, sources said that Iran’s government is “extremely nervous” about an Israeli attack and has been engaging in intensive diplomatic efforts to try to reduce its severity.

“Iran’s anxiety stems from uncertainty about whether the U.S. can convince Israel not to strike Iranian nuclear sites and oil facilities, and the fact that its most important proxy militia in the region, Hezbollah, has been significantly weakened by Israeli military operations in recent weeks, the sources said,” according to CNN.

An Arab diplomat told the Atlanta-based media outlet that Gulf states, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar, have expressed concern to Washington about the economic and environmental consequences of an Israeli strike on Iran’s oil infrastructure.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, on Friday amid the escalating tensions in the Middle East. Putin hailed Moscow’s close ties with Tehran and said he wants to create a “new world order” to counter the West.

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