With Iran launching attacks on the Israeli mainland using missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), reports have emerged suggesting that Israel will retaliate against Iran as early as Monday (local time). However, there are observations that deciding on the timing and scale of response may take more time due to strong discouragement from the Joe Biden administration, Israel's key ally, fearing the escalation of war throughout the Middle East.
The Wall Street Journal, citing Western sources on Sunday, reported, "American and Western officials expect Israel to respond swiftly to Iran's attack as early as Monday." The British Telegraph predicted that concerning Israel's retaliation scenario, there is a high likelihood of targeting the headquarters of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and Iranian military bases. This implies that akin to Iran's attack, a form of compromise may be adopted by targeting military facilities rather than civilian ones, aiming solely for symbolic impact. It was also anticipated that hostilities between both parties would persist for at least several weeks.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a war cabinet meeting on Sunday to deliberate on how to respond to Iran. However, even during this meeting, conflicting opinions arose, with some advocating for an "immediate hard-line response" while others suggested "taking a breather," resulting in a lack of consensus for a final decision. During a phone call with Prime Minister Netanyahu on the same day, President Biden strongly urged restraint from retaliation, emphasizing the need to think strategically.
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