Illustrative image. (Israeli Air Force)
Israel is preparing its armed forces for the possibility of attacking Iran unilaterally, Israel’s Channel 13 reported on August 8.
According to the news channel, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are working on strategies to strike the Islamic Republic without support from the United States, following recent reports about Washington allegedly exploring a diplomatic exit from the military conflict.
Earlier in the day, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Admiral Brad Cooper arrived in Israel, where he will discuss several topics with senior Israeli military officials, including the war in Iran and the Gaza Strip.
CNN reported overnight that Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, is looking for an “off-ramp” from the war with Iran.
In addition, a U.S. official had reported progress between Iran and Oman a day earlier that could soon reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Although Israel retains the ability to attack Iran without support from the U.S., the scope of damage it could inflict is extremely limited.
The IDF does not have the means to attack Iran’s last alleged nuclear site, Pickaxe Mountain, which is buried deep underground. It even lacks the ability to mount effective strikes against the Islamic Republic’s missile tunnels. All other known above-surface targets, like missile and drone manufacturing facilities, were hit at the height of the war earlier this year.
Still, Israel can carry out targeted killings or even attack civilian infrastructure in Iran. In any case, the Islamic Republic is guaranteed to respond.
The main purpose of any sole Israeli attack would likely not be a direct military one, but rather to drag the U.S. back into the war and sabotage the deal in the making.
In the case of an attack by the IDF against civilian infrastructure in particular, the Iranian response would likely not be limited to Israel. The Islamic Republic has already warned that it will hit back against similar facilities across the region. Thus, Israel may also be aiming to drag Gulf states back into the war.
While U.S. President Donald Trump has shown an ability to restrain Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the latter has acted on his own in the past. The clearest example of this is the 12-day war last year, which eventually saw the U.S. join in and target Iranian nuclear sites.
All in all, the latest report shows that Israel is deeply displeased with recent progress in talks to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and remains in favor of an all-out war.
Of course, this is not surprising, considering that Israel has succeeded to a large extent in putting the heaviest burden of the war on the U.S. and Gulf states.
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