Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told the administration of US President Joe Biden that he is ready to strike at military rather than oil or nuclear facilities in Iran, offering a more limited counterattack aimed at preventing a full-scale war. This was reported by The Washington Post, citing two officials, UNN reports.
Details
During the first phone call between Biden and Netanyahu in more than seven weeks, the Israeli prime minister reportedly said he plans to strike military infrastructure in Iran.
One of the officials told The Washington Post that the response to Iran's massive attack on Israel will be calibrated to avoid the perception of "political interference in the US elections.
According to analysts, an Israeli strike on Iranian oil facilities could lead to a sharp rise in energy prices, while an attack on the country's nuclear research program could erase any red lines governing Israel's conflict with Tehran, provoking further escalation and risking a more direct US military role.
Israel's plan to attack only Iran's military facilities was greeted in Washington "with relief," WP reports.
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Netanyahu's "more restrained stance" has now influenced Washington's decision to send Tel Aviv a powerful THAAD missile defense system, the Pentagon announced on October 13 that Israel would deploy a THAAD battery.
However, the Israeli defense ministry reportedly fears that the strike will not be powerful enough - or public enough - to deter Iran from a new direct attack on Israel or from developing nuclear weapons.