(Ynet News) Maj.-Gen. (ret.) Giora Eiland - In the last decade, Iran has been the source of 80% of Israel's security problems. A decade ago, Israel reached the ability to carry out an attack on Iranian nuclear facilities but avoided launching such a strike. In 2021, Israel must be prepared for at least two scenarios that Iran is capable of producing. The first scenario is a direct attack on Israel with cruise missiles and armed drones operated by Iran or militias under its rule, like the attack carried out two years ago against the Saudi oil infrastructure. Even though Israel has better defensive capabilities than Saudi Arabia, such an attack would likely require an Israeli retaliation on Iran's soil. The second scenario involves Israel attacking Iran's nuclear facilities if the Iranian regime begins accelerating toward a nuclear bomb. The importance of the ability to perform such an attack is great in order to show the international community that the threat of an Israeli strike is real. As a result, they might try harder to reach an agreement that will keep Israel safe, or harden the sanctions against the Islamic Republic or even prepare their own military options. One of the reasons Iran allows itself to be so brazen with the U.S. is the fact that Washington has not yet proven that it also has a credible military option. The writer is a former head of Israel's National Security Council.
2021-11-04 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive