Israeli Army Has Presented ‘Multiple Scenarios’ for Potential Attack on Targets in Iran
According to Israeli media reports, the Israeli military has presented several possible scenarios for attacking targets in Iran to the country’s political leadership.
On Tuesday, December 28, the Haaretz newspaper reported that while presenting this news, the Israeli military emphasized that determining the outcome of such attacks or assessing how they would affect Tehran’s nuclear program is difficult.
According to the report, the Israeli military states that in recent months, as part of its preparations for a potential attack on Iran, it has acquired more advanced weapons, conducted training exercises with its air force, and added details of new targets to its military databases.
According to Haaretz, 9 billion shekels ($2.9 billion) in additional budget has been allocated to the Israeli military for this purpose.
Israeli military sources also told the Times of Israel on Tuesday that the Israeli military is “optimistic” about the coming year, and in 2022 its focus will be on containing Iranian activities in Syria and preparing for a potential attack on Iranian nuclear sites.
Times of Israel writes that the decision to attack Iranian facilities “ultimately depends on various factors, from the degree of American support for such operations to the level of Israeli air defense readiness and bomb shelters—and perhaps most importantly, the degree of confidence in the Israeli military that such an attack would actually set back Iran’s nuclear program.”
On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett was also asked in an interview with the Israeli army radio about recent public statements by Israeli officials regarding Israel’s readiness to attack Iran at any moment, to which he responded: “I am in favor of talking less and doing more.” Bennett provided no further explanation on the matter.
Officials of the Islamic Republic have repeatedly threatened Israel with “destruction,” and alongside these statements, the advancement of Iran’s nuclear program has caused concern in Israel and globally.
Israel, while consulting with its allies on containing this nuclear program through diplomatic means, has repeatedly spoken of being prepared for a possible military option against Iran’s nuclear facilities.
While Israeli media previously reported on the Israeli military’s planning for “simulating an attack on Iran’s nuclear program,” this week media outlets affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also reported that during recent drills in southern Iran, “an attack on Israel’s Dimona nuclear center” was simulated.
The Islamic Republic of Iran’s presence in Syria is also considered a security threat from Israel’s perspective, and according to Times of Israel, Israeli military officials say that over the past year, through their air strikes, they have significantly limited Iran’s ability to transfer weapons and equipment through Syria, and the Israeli military intends to continue this in 2022.
The report states that “the Israeli military hopes that these strikes will also create a rift between Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian president, and Tehran.”
Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz said on Tuesday that the Israeli military has faced threats from various fronts in the current year, all of which “stem from Iran,” and emphasized that his country will not allow the Islamic Republic to send weapons for elements that threaten Israeli citizens.
Source: Radio Farda
