Iran prepares for potential Israeli response to missile barage
Fox News chief national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin reports on the potential retaliatory attack from Israel in response to Iran on ‘Special Report.'
On the evening of April 17, following his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron confirmed in an interview with the BBC that "It is clear that the Israelis are making a decision to act." After four days of tense deliberations within the Israeli cabinet since the April 13 direct attack by the Islamic regime of Iran against Israel, which involved more than 300 objects, containing 30 cruise missiles, 120 ballistic missiles and 170 drones, it is evident that Israel has reached the decision to target the bases of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps inside Iran. The question is no longer whether Israel will launch an attack on Iran, but rather when and to what extent the retaliatory strike by Israel might occur.
The United States and Israel, with the support from allies and friendly nations such as Britain, France, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, could successfully intercept IRGC’s missiles. Then, immediately Biden asked his "fellow G7 leaders to coordinate a united diplomatic response." The objective was to urge Israel to avoid further escalation of conflict in the Middle East.
However, these efforts were perceived as weak from Israel's standpoint. Israel has valid reasons to be concerned about the next phase of Iran's actions against the Jewish state. The aggressive behavior of the mullahs’ regime over the past 45 years, starting from the storming of the American Embassy in Tehran and the hostage crisis in 1979, to the bombing of the Israeli Embassy in Argentina in 1992, the October 7 attack six months ago, the recent massive missile and drone attack, and numerous other assaults against the United States and Israel, all underscore the fact that this regime cannot be trusted to behave rationally and respectfully within the international community.
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Despite all of that, it was revealed days before last weekend’s attack that the Islamic regime of Iran has a supply of highly enriched uranium, which, according to current and former officials of the International Atomic Energy Agency, "could be converted to weapons-grade fuel for at least three bombs within a time frame ranging from a few days to a few weeks."
Israel is reportedly preparing to strike back at Iran for its massive attack on Israel. FILE: An Israeli Air Force F-15I fighter jet takes off during an air force pilots' graduation ceremony at Hatzerim air base in southern Israel. (Reuters)
"This cannot just pass. It cannot go unanswered," Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Herzog said in an interview with Bret Baier on Fox News. "Because if you don’t answer, the Iranians will feel impunity, and they will feel that you can strike anywhere in the Middle East or elsewhere, without any consequences." He followed "We have to respond, and we will respond. How exactly we do it remains to be seen. I don’t want to discuss any details."
Herzog clearly stated that, "In our part of the world, defense is not enough to create deterrence. We need to push back." He added "If we do not push back against Iran, in a matter of few years, you may see nuclear warheads on ballistic missiles." Israel has valid concerns and may feel compelled to preemptively disable IRGC's missile and nuclear capabilities permanently, echoing their 1981 intervention at Iraq's Osirak Nuclear reactor.
White House National Security Spokesperson John Kirby addressed questions about Iran and the IRGC's motives regarding the recent missile attack. Kirby informed reporters, "The aim was to get as many [missiles and drones] through Israel's defenses as possible." He refuted theories suggesting that the Iranians intended the operation to fail, labeling such claims as "categorically false" and asserting, "Given the scale of this attack, Iran's intent was clearly to cause significant destruction and casualties."
Reflect on the potential threat if Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, known for his enmity with the United States and Israel, had access to nuclear ballistic missiles. He likely would not hesitate to use such weapons, aligning with their longstanding so-called Islamic revolutionary slogan of "Israel must be wiped off the map."
In 1989, seven days after Ali Khamenei was appointed as Iran's second supreme leader following Ruhollah Khomeini’s death, Smith Hempstone, soon to be appointed by President George H.W. Bush as Ambassador to Kenya, speculated that "Unfortunately if Khamenei remains in power and seeks an opening to the outside world, he is more likely to look to the Soviet Union than to the U.S. He is a graduate of Moscow’s Patrice Lumumba university."
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Over the past 35 years, Khamenei's actions have consistently revealed his ties to Russia. Under his command, the IRGC has suppressed numerous uprisings, with the most brutal crackdown occurring in November 2019. This incident saw the IRGC, under General Qassem Soleimani’s leadership, kill at least 1,500 peaceful protesters across 200 cities using military-grade weapons.
Following Soleimani’s death by a U.S. drone strike ordered by then-President Donald Trump, IRGC General Mohammadreza Zahedi took control as the deputy commander of the Quds Force. Zahedi, known for his long-standing loyalty to Khamenei, was responsible for suppressing protests involving mostly teenagers in 500 cities last year.
Despite all of that, it was revealed days before last weekend’s attack that the Islamic regime of Iran has a supply of highly enriched uranium, which, according to current and former officials of the International Atomic Energy Agency, "could be converted to weapons-grade fuel for at least three bombs within a time frame ranging from a few days to a few weeks."
Zahedi himself was killed on April 1st by an Israeli strike in Syria, which subsequently triggered a missile attack by Iran against Israel. He was killed by Israel because its undoubtedly confirmed "that he participated in the planning and execution of the October 7 attacks – and at the time of his assassination, Zahedi was planning other terror plots."
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Given the historical actions attributed to Iran's supreme leader and the IRGC's pervasive influence in Iran, Israel has significant reasons for concern. Over the past two decades, the IRGC has gradually taken control of key aspects of Iranian society, including almost every seat in parliament, the cabinet, national TV, the banking system, and the import and export sectors, as well as the police departments and the supreme leader's headquarters, all under Khamenei's direct command.
As a result, IRGC facilities represent a broad array of potential Israeli targets for retaliation following missile attacks. Understandably, many Iranians view potential Israeli strikes on these targets as a beacon of hope for the overthrow of the Mullahs' regime. While Biden expressed concern in his op-ed in The Wall Street Journal about the potential for being dragged into war, he should be even more worried about the prospect that "Israel's failure to strike back at Iran could lead to NUCLEAR WAR," warned the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.