Israeli military preparing retaliation against Iran - reports
The Israeli army is "preparing a response" following Iran’s missile attack on Israel earlier this week, an Israeli military official told local and international media on Saturday.
"The IDF [Israeli military] is preparing a response to the unprecedented and unlawful Iranian attack on Israeli civilians and Israel," the official, speaking anonymously due to lack of authorization to discuss the matter publicly, told AFP. However, he provided no further details regarding the nature or timing of the potential Israeli retaliation.
Israel’s newspaper Haaretz cited military sources confirming that the planned response would be "significant."
"The IDF is preparing for a significant strike in Iran following this week's missile attack from Tehran," the paper reported. Additionally, Haaretz noted that the military has not ruled out the possibility of further missile launches from Iran after Israel retaliates.
The Iranian missile strike on Tuesday involved around 180 missiles targeting Israel, marking Iran’s second direct assault on Israel in less than six months.
A former IDF spokesperson suggested that Israel’s response could include high-profile targets such as "regime symbols," including the residence of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and key Iranian officials. Though these actions carry significant risks, they remain possible options, according to the retired Lt. Colonel Jonathan Conricus. In an episode of the podcast Eye for Iran this week, Conricus, now a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), indicated that Israel is likely to retaliate strongly, but many strategic factors will influence the final decision.
Since Iran's attack, unconfirmed reports have surfaced suggesting that the potential successor to the late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, killed last week, has been unreachable since Friday, following an Israeli airstrike that allegedly targeted him, according to a Lebanese security source on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Israel’s Channel 12 has reported that Esmail Ghaani, the commander of the IRGC's Quds Force, was likely present and injured in the Israeli strike in southern Beirut aimed at Hashem Safieddine, head of Hezbollah's executive council. Although the hardline website Mehr initially dismissed these reports, the content has since been removed from their site.
Despite rising tensions, Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad expressed confidence on Saturday, stating he was "not worried" about a regional conflict, even after reports suggesting an imminent Israeli strike on Iran. Speaking to the ministry’s Shana news site, Paknejad said, "I am not worried about the crises that the enemies of the revolution are creating, and this trip is considered a normal work trip."
Paknejad made these remarks during a visit to Assaluyeh, a major hub for Iran’s exploitation of the world’s largest offshore gas field, which it shares with Qatar in the Persian Gulf.
US officials remain divided on the recommendations they offer Israel regarding potential targets in Iran. President Joe Biden, who initially ruled out endorsing strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, later extended this caution to include Iran’s oil infrastructure. This shift in stance has led analysts to speculate that the administration may be signaling a preference for targeting Iran's military bases, steering away from actions that could escalate into broader economic or environmental fallout.
“It appears that his unspoken intentions are more revealing than his words. Suppose oil or nuclear facilities are off-limits as potential targets. In that case, the logical focus will shift to military assets,” Kamran Matin, Senior Lecturer in International Relations at the University of Sussex, told Iran International TV.
“I believe the Biden administration may not only refrain from condemning but could implicitly endorse Israeli strikes on missile bases, production facilities, or even on the leadership and strongholds of the IRGC's Quds Force,” he added.
The Biden administration would prefer no major shock to oil prices four weeks before presidential elections, which could hurt the chances of Vice President Kamala Harris.
Reuters also reported that, according to numerous experts, including over half a dozen former military, intelligence, and diplomatic officials from the US and the Middle East, Israel is less likely to target the oil facilities that form the backbone of Iran's economy or its nuclear sites.
Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump, in an interview with Fox News on Friday, criticized President Biden’s stance, asserting that it was a mistake for the administration to signal that the United States would withhold support for an Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear program.
