Israel Signaled That It Would Retaliate Against Iran
Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, emerged today from talks with European diplomats resolute that his country would not bow to outside pressure in responding to the recent attack by Iran. Britain’s foreign secretary acknowledged after the meeting that an Israeli reprisal seemed inevitable.
“It is clear that the Israelis are making a decision to act,” David Cameron, the British foreign secretary, said. “We hope that they do so in a way that does as little to escalate this as possible.”
The British were not alone in urging Israeli restraint after Iran launched more than 300 missiles and drones at Israel over the weekend. The leaders of the U.S., Germany and other nations denounced Tehran’s attack but pressed Netanyahu to avoid taking any action that could spur a wider war.
A spokesman for the State Department said today that the U.S. was pushing for a “unified diplomatic response” to the Iranian attack. But the spokesman added, “These decisions are for Israel to make as a sovereign, democratic country.”
Israel has considered a range of options, including a direct strike on Iran and a strike on an Iranian target elsewhere, such as an Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps base. Israeli officials said they had also considered a cyberattack or assassinations. Iranian leaders have warned that the country will react forcefully to any Israeli strike.