US officials reveal timing and potential targets of Israeli strike on Iran
Shafaq News/ On Saturday, US officials revealed that Israel is preparing to launch a retaliatory strike on Iran, pinpointing military and energy infrastructure as potential targets.
According to media reports, both the US and Israeli officials confirmed that Israel has already identified the objectives it plans to hit following an Iranian attack, but the exact timing remains unknown.
While officials stated that the Israeli response could come during the Yom Kippur holiday (Saturday, October 12), they admitted that Israel has not shared a specific timeline and there are no indications that the strike will occur today.
The United States is bracing for potential Iranian counterattacks on its assets in the region, though direct military support for Israel’s operation is unlikely, according to officials. American authorities are urging Israel to keep its retaliation proportionate and focus on military targets, avoiding Iran's oil, gas, and nuclear facilities.
President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly did not discuss the details of the potential strike during their phone call earlier this week. Biden, however, strongly urged Netanyahu to prioritize the humanitarian situation in Gaza and Lebanon and encouraged efforts to de-escalate the ongoing conflict.
Asharq Al-Awsat reported that, on Friday, Iran had delivered a message through European intermediaries about its potential response to an Israeli strike. According to the sources, Iran communicated that it "would overlook a limited Israeli strike and not respond as threatened." However, Tehran warned that it would "have no choice but to retaliate by breaking red lines" if the attack were significant, particularly if it targeted the country’s oil or nuclear energy sectors.
This message came as Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accompanied President Masoud Pezeshkian to an international forum in Turkmenistan. Speaking at the event, Pezeshkian reiterated that "Iran does not want war but is prepared to respond if attacked," and he called on Israel to cease its military operations in Lebanon and Gaza. Araghchi echoed these sentiments in a press briefing in Ashgabat.
