Various Scenarios of Israel Attacks
Amid expectations that Israel will retaliate against Iran for attacking its mainland, U.S. officials have predicted that the scope of such an attack will likely be limited.
U.S. NBC News reported on the 16th (local time), citing four U.S. officials, that the U.S. administration believes the range of Israel's attack will likely be limited. The report stated that Israel is expected to target Iranian forces and proxy groups located outside of Iran's mainland.
However, this assessment is based on conversations between U.S. and Israeli officials prior to the Iranian attack. U.S. officials said that Israel explained possible response options while preparing for a potential Iranian attack last week.
The scenarios Israel shared with the U.S. last week regarding an Iranian attack ranged from small-scale strikes to extensive attacks causing Israeli casualties. According to U.S. officials, these scenarios included options from taking no military action to striking inside Iran itself.
Officials explained that since there were no Israeli casualties or widespread damage from the Iranian attack over the past weekend, Israel responded in a less aggressive manner. They also noted that among Israel's response options, attacks on Syria could be included.
Meanwhile, Israel's wartime cabinet reportedly reviewed military response options against Iran during a roughly three-hour meeting the previous day. According to Israeli foreign media, the wartime cabinet is focusing on a plan to deliver a "painful retaliation" to Iran without triggering a full-scale war.
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