Tel Aviv: Israel will unleash a "significant retaliation" within days in response to Tuesday's massive missile attack which may target Iran's oil production facilities as well as other strategic locations, Israeli officials told Axios, as the fresh crisis unfolds in West Asia.
Israel and Iran have never been closer to opening up a new and far more dangerous front in the war that has engulfed the Middle East, writes Barak Ravid, who is a political reporter and Middle East expert for Axios.
Iran said on Tuesday that it would launch another attack if Israel used force in response to the approximately 200 missiles it fired.
Israeli officials say that in that case, all options are on the table, including attacking Iran's nuclear facilities. Israeli Air Force may retaliate with fighter jet strikes and covert actions like the one that killed Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
According to Axios, many Israeli officials point to Iran's oil facilities as a 'likely target', but some say targeted assassinations. There is also a possibility of Iran's air defence systems coming under attack.
Barak Ravid is a political reporter and Middle East expert for Axios covering foreign policy and the 2024 election. He also writes for Walla News in Israel.
The turmoil in the region escalated after Iran launched nearly 200 ballistic missiles towards targets in Israel and the United States military coordinated closely with the Israeli Defence Forces to help defend Israel against this attack.
US Naval destroyers joined Israeli air defence units in firing interceptors to shoot down inbound missiles.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described Iran's missile attack on his country as a "big mistake" and said Tehran would pay for it. "Iran made a big mistake today and will pay for it. The Iranian regime does not understand our determination to defend ourselves and our determination to take revenge on our enemies," he said.
Meanwhile, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) spokesperson, RAdm. Daniel Hagari has described Iran's attack as a "severe and dangerous escalation."
"There will be consequences...We will respond wherever, whenever and however we choose, in accordance with the directive of the government of Israel," said Hagari regarding Iran's large-scale attack.
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) launched precision strikes on the Lebanese capital in Beirut last week, which led to the death of Nasrallah. Lebanon's Health Ministry reported that the airstrikes targeting Hassan Nasrallah resulted in civilian casualties, with at least six people killed and dozens injured.
Following the death of Nasrallah, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a warning to Iran's Ayatollah regime and asserted that those who target Israel will face 'consequences' and that "no location" in Iran or the Middle East is "beyond Israel's reach."
—ANI