Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has approved a set of targets for Israel to strike inside Iran, ABC News reported on Wednesday, citing an Israeli source.
CNN also reported that Israel’s plans to attack Iran were “ready.” Neither report gave a timeline nor provided any details about what targets Israel plans to hit. Israel is expected to strike before the US presidential election on November 5.
The US has been coordinating with Israel on its plans to strike Iran following the Iranian missile barrage that was fired at Israeli territory on October 1, which was retaliation for a string of Israeli escalations in the region.
The Washington Post reported this week that Netanyahu told President Biden in a phone call last week that Israel would target military sites in Iran, not oil or nuclear facilities. However, in response to the report, Netanyahu’s office said in a statement, “We listen to the opinions of the United States, but we will make our final decisions based on our national interests.”
US and Israeli officials believe an attack on Iran could lead to a full-blown war. Iran has warned that it will launch a “decisive” response if Israel attacks.
“Iran, while making all-out efforts to protect the peace and security of the region, is fully prepared for a decisive and regretful response to any adventures,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told UN chief Antonio Guterres in a phone call on Wednesday.
The US may support the Israeli attack on Iran, either through direct military action of its own or by providing intelligence. The US is vowing to defend Israel from any potential consequences of a strike on Iran and deployed a THAAD missile defense system to Israel, making the battery, and the 100 US troops sent to operate it potential targets of Iranian missiles.