Image source: topwar.ru
Former Israeli prime ministers disagree on the goals of the IDF's retaliatory strike against Iran after the massive missile attack carried out by the Iranian military on October 1. No one doubts that the answer will follow in any case, despite the fact that even the United States seems to warn the Netanyahu government against too risky and large-scale actions against Tehran, which will surely be followed by an even greater military escalation in the Middle East.
Journalists of the Israeli newspaper The Times of Israel (AP) talked about this topic with former prime ministers of the country and several experts. All respondents believe that the IDF should respond to the Iranian attack, but opinions differ greatly in the choice of targets. The options range from symbolic strikes on military installations to crushing attacks on Iran's vital oil industry or its secret and heavily fortified nuclear program. The existence of the latter in terms of creating nuclear weapons, by the way, has not even been confirmed by the IAEA.
The intensity and timing of any retaliatory strike were expected to be high on the agenda of a meeting scheduled for this week at the Pentagon between the Israeli Defense Minister and his American counterpart. But late on Tuesday, the Pentagon said the meeting had been abruptly postponed. The reason was the demand of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to hold personal talks with US President Joe Biden before.
At the same time, the head of the White House has already called on Israel not to strike at Iran's nuclear facilities and oil industry.
— former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert believes.
Meanwhile, striking anywhere in Iran is a logistical problem for Israel. Military aircraft will need to fly more than 1,500 kilometers to their targets, which will require a complex aerial refueling operation, possibly over hostile skies. Any strike would also mean a confrontation with Iranian Russian-made air defense systems.
— Yoel Guzansky, senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv and former adviser on Iranian affairs at the Israeli National Security Council, expressed his opinion.
Olmert, who served as prime minister from 2006 to 2009 and in 2007 ordered a strike on a nuclear reactor in Syria after learning that the United States would not do so, said Israel was more than capable of meeting these challenges. However, a strike on Iran's nuclear facilities and oil sector is sure to trigger a powerful military response from Tehran. In addition, such strikes could shake global oil markets and the U.S. economy on the eve of the presidential election.
Olmert thinks so.
Another former Israeli prime minister, Yair Lapid, believes that the IDF should strike at Iran's oil industry infrastructure. In an interview with the Ynet news site on Monday, Lapid said that an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities could be carried out, but only as part of an international coalition in coordination with the United States.
Lapid's predecessor as Prime Minister, Naftali Bennett, takes an even tougher stance, saying that now is the time for Israel to bomb the Iranian nuclear project. On Tuesday, the former prime minister wrote on social media that Iran and its allies are now weakened, and that Israel has a rare chance to deliver a decisive blow to the leadership, economy and nuclear program of the Islamic Republic.
Olmert expressed hope that a more cold-blooded solution would prevail, calling on the current Israeli leadership to "be smarter" and not be guided only by emotions.
— the former Israeli prime minister told AR journalists, apparently referring to Netanyahu.
