World War 3 fears have exploded after leaks from Israel’s war cabinet suggest the government is planning a “painful strike” on Iran in response to Tehran’s unprecedented attack on the country on Sunday.
Iran fired more than 300 missiles and drones at Israel in retaliation for the Israel Defence Force’s (IDF) strike on the Iranian consulate building in Syria, killing two of Iran’s military generals.
The scale of the attack stunned Israel and its allies, and has ramped up the pressure on the Israeli Prime Minister to take decisive action against the Islamic republic.
Benjamin Netanyahu has now reportedly instructed his generals to draw up a list of targets that Israel could hit, sparking fears of a massive escalation in hostilities.
Israel’s Channel 12 news claimed the war cabinet had agreed to strike back at Iran “clearly and “forcefully” and that several options had been discussed that would be “painful”.
A government official also told the Washington Post: “Everybody agrees that Israel must respond. How to respond, when to respond, is the question.”
Nuclear facilities inside Iran are considered to be high on the ist of potential targets.
Tehran is thought to have enriched enough uranium to build three atomic weapons and in the past Israel has sought to disrupt Iran’s nuclear programme.
Kasra Aarabi, director of research at United Against Nuclear Iran, believes that Israel’s army could strike assets belonging to the military intelligence of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
He told the Daily Telegraph: “The nuclear facilities, which are controlled by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps are a very, very important dimension to this.”
Israel could strike Iran’s nuclear production sites either by using its F-35 fighter jets or by carrying out a clandestine operation on the ground.
Another option for Netanyahu’s government would be to go after Iran’s weapons and drone factories.
A key target here would be the production lines for Shahed drones, that Tehran has also been supplying Russia with for its war in Ukraine.
Destroying a weapons production facility would probably require a major bombing raid using fighter jets or long range cruise missiles.
