On October 26th, Israel bombed military facilities in Iran in response to Iran’s missile attacks on Israel at the beginning of the month. The possibility of the two countries continuing to escalate into a cycle of retaliation has raised concerns.
Israeli military warned Iran on Tuesday (October 29) that if they dare to launch another attack, the Israeli military will respond with unrestrained force.
Israeli Defense Forces Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi addressed the aircrew personnel at the Ramon Air Base in southern Israel, stating that if Iran “makes a mistake and launches missile attacks on Israel again, we will know how to strike Iran once more.”
He cautioned that Israel will retaliate against Iran with unused capabilities from the recent strike, targeting Iranian locations that were spared during the previous attack.
Halevi explained that Israel showed restraint during the October 26th strikes on Iranian missile factories and other sites because “we may need to do it again.”
“We have not concluded this incident; we are in the middle phase,” he added.
Following the Israeli air raids on Iran, Halevi stated, “We have only used part of our capabilities. We are capable of doing more. We hit Iran’s strategic systems… Now we will see how the situation unfolds. We are prepared for all scenarios on all fronts.”
On October 26th, Israel launched unprecedented airstrikes on Iranian military targets in response to Iran’s missile strike on Israel on October 1st. Israeli aircraft targeted strategic military bases across Iran, especially facilities for drones, ballistic missiles, and air defense systems.
Despite Iran’s efforts to downplay the losses from Israel’s recent airstrikes, multiple media outlets have learned from U.S. and Israeli officials, as well as expert analysis of satellite images, that Iran’s missile manufacturing capacity has been severely damaged. Additionally, Israeli forces also damaged Iran’s S-300 air defense systems.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) in the United States stated that at least some of the targeted air defense systems were used to protect crucial energy infrastructure in Iran’s western and southwestern regions. With these systems destroyed, the energy infrastructure will be more vulnerable to future Israeli airstrikes.
BBC analysis suggests that Iran must now navigate through a series of difficult choices to find a relatively less disadvantageous option. If Iran retaliates against Israel again, Israel has already stated its intent to continue retaliating. However, if Iran refrains from retaliation, the risk they face is appearing weak, seemingly intimidated by Israel’s military strength and political resolve.
CNN learned from sources familiar with Iran’s deliberations that Israel can expect a “clear and painful” response from Iran, which is likely to occur before the upcoming U.S. elections.