Netanyahu plans major military action against Iran, discusses strategy with Biden
Shafaq News/ US President Joe Biden spoke by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday morning to discuss Israel’s plans for a large-scale military response against Iran.
Axios reported that Israeli officials said the anticipated retaliation would be significant, likely involving a combination of airstrikes on Iranian military targets and covert operations, similar to the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
Israeli Security Minister Yoav Gallant said last Thursday that any strike on Iran would be "lethal, precise, and unexpected."
Netanyahu is expected to convene Israel’s security cabinet on Thursday, where the prime minister will seek approval for the military action, a requirement under Israeli law for large-scale operations that could escalate into full-scale war with Iran.
US and Israeli officials reportedly believe the US and Israel may need to collaborate closely to address any potential Iranian retaliation.
The Biden-Netanyahu call occurred one week after Iran launched roughly 180 ballistic missiles at Israel in retaliation for a series of Israeli assassinations targeting senior officials from Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran. Some missiles caused structural damage to two Israeli airbases, and a few others landed near Mossad headquarters in Tel Aviv.
Tehran stated that its response would cease unless Israel attacked Iran directly. Israel, however, has vowed further retaliation.
US and Israeli officials believe that tit-for-tat exchanges are likely to continue, and the two sides may need to coordinate closely to counter any further Iranian strikes.
Netanyahu’s office described Wednesday's call with Biden as essential to "define the boundaries of Israel’s response." A Netanyahu aide told Axios that the prime minister intends to brief Biden after finalizing any decision to strike Iran. US officials, however, said that Israel has not yet shared specific details of its planned military response to last week’s Iranian missile attack.
