The US and Israel are discussing the possibility of an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) strike against pro-Iranian formations and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) units in Yemen and Syria in response to rocket fire from Iran to Israel, reports Politico, citing advisers to US President Joe Biden.
According to the newspaper's interlocutors, the US is actively communicating with Israel about a response that could include a strike. Among the options under consideration are Israeli strikes against Iranian-backed formations or directly against IRGC forces in Yemen or Syria.
The United States prefers a limited Israeli response to Iranian missile fire, aides to the US president told Politico. Two US administration officials told Politico that such a response would satisfy Washington and that the US side does not intend to push for a full Israeli withdrawal. This shows the weakening of Biden's influence on events in the Middle East, the publication notes.
Israeli officials told The New York Times (NYT) that Tel Aviv was ready to retaliate "more aggressively" than after the Iranian attack in April. Then Israel attacked an air base near the Iranian city of Isfahan. According to the NYT, there are nuclear facilities near the site.
A day earlier, Axios reported, citing Israeli officials, that Israel planned to launch a "significant retaliatory strike" up to several days because of Iran's massive missile attack on the evening of October 1st. It followed the death of the leader of the Lebanese "Hezbollah" Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut during an Israeli strike, and the official announcement of a ground operation in the southern parts of Lebanon.
On Tuesday, Israel announced that commandos and paratroopers had crossed the border at close range, in the first publicly announced ground operation in Lebanon. According to subsequent statements, Israel's special forces have been raiding Hezbollah targets in Lebanon for months, uncovering tunnels and weapons caches under residential buildings.
Iran supports "Hezbollah", and the organization is listed as one of Tehran's proxies in the Middle East.
According to the interlocutors of the portal, the targets may be oil extraction facilities on Iranian territory and other strategic sites. In the event of a subsequent response from Tehran, the Israeli side does not rule out strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, the sources claim.
Biden refuses to support possible Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites and considers them inappropriate. At the same time, the US supports Israel in the conflict, the White House emphasizes. Against the background of the new escalation, Biden began discussing new sanctions against Iran with the leaders of the G-7.