The whole planet with its eyes on Netanyahu’s next move a few hours after the unprecedented attack by Iran. We will respond accordingly threatens Iran back.

After a marathon meeting, Israel’s war council decided to counterattack, to “hit” Iran. As reported by the SKAI envoy in Tel Aviv, Stavros Ioannidis Israel has decided to carry out a strike that will “pain” Iran. A blow that will have the “blessings” of the Americans and other allies and that will not cause a total war. The members of Israel’s war council are looking for this golden ratio, which is expected to meet again tomorrow, and then the Israeli prime minister is expected to inform the members of the opposition as well.

Based on the briefing given today by the Israeli military authorities, and specifically the Israeli air force, which also presented possible targets that it put at the disposal of the war council, the scenarios that are on the table are the following:

  • Wounds that can be done to Iranian infrastructure, to factories for the production of armaments or missiles, without, however, as the sources report, any victims from these attacks
  • The scenario of hitting organizations supported by Iran such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, Revolutionary Guards, in Syria, Iraq and even in Yemen, the Houthis, is still being considered, in other words, to give a message through the representatives who are in conflict anyway with israel
  • An even more extreme scenario that could ignite the region involves a strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, which is currently reportedly out of the question.

According to the Israelis, shortly before the attack by Iran, there was information about the armament that is expected to be used and about the possible targets, which are the military bases and mainly the airports. Furthermore, what the intelligence services as well as the Israeli military know is that Iran still has the capability and stockpile of weaponry to launch new and more severe attacks and so the war council concludes that a clear answer must be given and clear.

However, there is a split among key members of the council, as extreme partners in Netanyahu’s ruling coalition push for an immediate and tough response.

Biden: “We are committed” to the security of Israel and other regional partners

“The United States is committed to Israel’s security,” US President Joe Biden said in his first public speech since Iran’s attack on Israel over the weekend. He said he remains focused on Israel’s security and reaching a ceasefire and hostage deal as he works to prevent the conflict from spilling into a wider regional war.

“We are committed to a ceasefire that will bring the hostages home and prevent the conflict from expanding beyond what already exists,” Biden said at the White House.

The president made the comments while welcoming Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani to the Oval Office amid continued tension in the region.

“We are also committed to the security of our personnel and partners in the region, including in Iraq,” Biden said. “The partnership between Iraq and the United States is critical,” he concluded.

The United States, Israel and its allies stand united to defend against this threat.

The United States also participated in the interception operation, shooting down more than 80 drones and 6 ballistic missiles, and Joe Biden praises the ability of the US military, speaking with the lieutenant colonel of the squadron that stopped Tehran’s missiles.

Washington does not want “escalation” with Iran but will continue to defend Israel, says US Secretary of State Blinken

The US is not “seeking escalation” but will continue to defend Israel following Iran’s attack on the Jewish state, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said today.

“We are not seeking escalation but we will continue to defend Israel and protect our forces in the region,” the head of US diplomacy said at the start of his meeting with Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Mohammad Ali Tamim.

“I think this weekend showed that Israel does not have to defend itself when it is the victim of aggression…” he said, condemning the Iranian attack as “unprecedented in scope and scale”, the first direct attack by Iran on Israel.

The US Secretary of State spoke again of intense diplomatic activity “in the last 36 hours, with the aim of coordinating a diplomatic response to try to prevent escalation” in the region. The head of US diplomacy met with his counterparts from Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Britain and Germany, according to the State Department.

For his part, Ali Tamim said that Baghdad called on all parties involved to show restraint. “The Iraqi government warns that the escalation in the region will evolve into a wider war that will threaten international security,” he said.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani is on an official visit to the US and will be received at the White House by President Joe Biden.

Israel delays ground operation in Rafah after Iran attack

At the same time, Iran’s attack on Israel seems to be changing the plans of the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. Although he planned to take the first steps toward a ground attack on Rafah this week, all indications are that he will ultimately delay it as a possible response to Iran is a priority for him, two Israeli sources told CNN.

Iran’s attack last Saturday on Israel, launching 300 drones and missiles prompted the Israeli prime minister to delay his plans to attack, where more than a million people have currently taken refuge there. The Israeli Air Force had planned to drop leaflets on parts of the city on Monday, the sources said. An Israeli official said Israel remains determined to launch a ground assault on the southern city, although it remains unclear when civilians will vacate the area.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stressed the importance of the Rafah invasion in order to dislodge the remaining Hamas factions, despite significant pressure from the United States to call it off. In fact, the future of the war in Gaza and an upcoming ground offensive in Rafah are also part of the ongoing EU War Cabinet discussion.