Dov S. Zakheim
Israel has promised to retaliate for the Iranian ballistic missile strike on its airfields and cities, which left several people injured, hit a school in Gedera, caused some damage at the Tel Nof airbase and landed at or near the Hatzerim and Nevatim airbases. The last of these houses Israeli F-35 fighter aircraft, though it is not clear whether any of them were hit. The vast majority of F-35s presumably were conducting air operations at the time. In turn, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has promised that should Israel retaliate for the Iranian attacks, it would unleash an even more devastating blow against the Jewish State.
It is unlikely that the IRGC’s threats will deter Jerusalem. To begin with, Israel was not alone in defending against Iran’s ballistic missiles. For the second time, not only the United States but Britain, France, and Jordan came to Israel’s defense. Amman did so to protect its own people from both wayward missiles and shrapnel. Indeed, falling shrapnel wounded two people on Jordanian territory. Israel can, therefore, expect that should Iran launch yet another strike, America will come to its defense. So, too, Jordan will once again protect its own citizens. And other states, notably Britain, may do so as well.
There can be little doubt that Israel will go on the offensive in response to the Iranian attack. One option would be for it to attack some of Iran’s nuclear facilities. It certainly has the capability to do so since it operates tanker aircraft and likely would be able to refuel over Saudi airspace.
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