The region is on high alert as a potential Israeli military response to Iran looms, following Tehran’s recent missile strike on the Zionist state. This raises pressing questions about the feasible and actionable options available to Tel Aviv, which has repeatedly vowed to launch a significant strike against Tehran.
According to an analysis published by The Economist, four types of targets are being discussed with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as he explores the options for a possible attack.
The report notes that Netanyahu faced legal opposition in 2010 and 2011, which prevented him from striking Iran. He failed to secure the necessary authorization from his cabinet. However, now, he faces no such hindrances that might obstruct a retaliatory Israeli response.
As for the first option, the magazine highlighted Netanyahu’s preference for bombing the sites where Iran enriches uranium and conducts research for its nuclear program. However, these locations are heavily fortified and buried deep underground.
To cause significant damage to these facilities, according to the analysis, Israel would need to launch large numbers of bunker-busting missiles from dozens of aircraft operating at a minimum distance of 1,200 kilometers.
The second option, according to the magazine, involves targeting Iran’s main ports, including oil terminals that generate a substantial portion of Tehran’s foreign currency income.
Targeting these ports would be a severe blow to Iran’s economy, and it could also open the door to fueling further internal unrest.
The third option involves directly targeting Iranian leaders, in line with previous assassinations carried out by the Zionist entity against leaders of the Resistance Axis.
Finally, the analysis mentioned that the most straightforward Israeli response would be a strike on Iran’s missile bases. This option is seen as the least likely to provoke another retaliatory response from Iran after an Israeli strike.
At the beginning of October, Iran launched a missile attack on Israel, firing more than 200 ballistic missiles. This was in retaliation for the assassination of Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah and the IRGC commander Abbas Nilforoushan in an Israeli airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburbs on September 27.
The attack was also in response to the assassination of the late Palestinian Prime Minister-elect, Ismail Haniyeh, during a visit to Tehran at the end of July.
The Israeli military has pledged a major attack against Iran in response to the recent missile strike, while Tehran has vowed an even harsher retaliation should “Israel” proceed with any retaliatory action.
