The world is anxiously waiting to see when and, most importantly, how Israel will respond to Iran’s massive missile attack on Tuesday night.
According to Sky News analyst Michael Clarke, it’s certain that Israel will want to respond to Iran. However, there is also a chance this could be done in a way that could “close” this new phase of tension in the Middle East.
“Israel will definitely want to respond because it does not want to allow a new norm to be established, where Iran can launch missiles at Israeli territory,” Clarke explains. Tel Aviv wants its response to be stronger than the attack, but it will face pressure from its allies.
What Western nations will likely tell Benjamin Netanyahu is: “If you’re going to respond, do it in a careful and choreographed way so we can put a lid on this tension.”
However, Clarke questions whether Netanyahu can handle this, as Israelis currently feel empowered and believe they can repel all their enemies at once, including Iran.
“They may not be able to defeat them, but they can force them to retreat and give the Israelis a few years of ‘breathing space’ compared to the pressure they are facing now,” Clarke adds.
“Whether they can put a lid on the tension will depend on how the Israelis structure their response, which I expect will unfold within the next 24-48 hours,” Clarke concludes.
BBC’s Jeremy Bowen also notes the shift in Israel’s stance. He recalls that in April, President Biden told Netanyahu, “Take a win, but don’t give a big response,” and Israel complied. However, following former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s post urging Tel Aviv to target Iran’s nuclear facilities, Bowen observes that Israel’s intentions now seem very different.
He doesn’t rule out any Israeli attack, whether on nuclear facilities, petrochemical plants, or anything that could damage Iran’s economy.
Finally, Bowen brings Hezbollah into the equation, noting that the Lebanese organization was once considered Iran’s forward defense.
“But in recent weeks, Israel has decimated Hezbollah, destroyed half its arsenal, and invaded Lebanon. So the counterbalance Iran once had not only doesn’t exist now, but it has been shattered into a thousand pieces. Now, the Israelis feel freer to act,” Bowen concludes.
