{"id":2221357,"date":"2024-04-15T13:43:02","date_gmt":"2024-04-15T17:43:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/strike-back-hard-israel-weighs-retaliation-for-unprecedented-iran-attack\/"},"modified":"2024-04-15T13:45:24","modified_gmt":"2024-04-15T17:45:24","slug":"strike-back-hard-israel-weighs-retaliation-for-unprecedented-iran-attack","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/strike-back-hard-israel-weighs-retaliation-for-unprecedented-iran-attack\/","title":{"rendered":"Israel considers responding forcefully to an unprecedented attack by Iran"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fstrike-back-hard-israel-weighs-retaliation-for-unprecedented-iran-attack%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2221357&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Israeli leaders are discussing their response to Iran&#8217;s unprecedented aerial \u200battack\u2064 targeting Israel\u200b over the\u2063 weekend with over\u200b 300 drones and \u200bmissiles intercepted. Despite\u200b warnings of retaliation, efforts are being made to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/14-americans-murdered-by-hamas-u-s-citizens-taken-hostage-biden\/\" title=\"Biden: 14 Americans killed, U.S. citizens held hostage by Hamas.\">de-escalate \u200btensions<\/a> with the U.S. not envisioning participation in\u2064 an\u200c Israeli \u200bcounterattack. \u200bHowever,\u200c former \u2064Defense Secretary Mark Esper advocates\u2064 for a strong response to restore \u200cdeterrence.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/israel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Israeli<\/a> leaders are debating how the country should respond to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/iran\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Iran\u2019s<\/a> unprecedented aerial attack against Israel that took place this weekend.<\/p>\n<p>Tehran launched more than 300 drones and missiles at Israel on Saturday night local time and into Sunday morning, the vast majority of which were <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/defense\/2965457\/israel-with-foreign-help-intercepted-most-of-iranian-missiles-and-drones\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>intercepted by Israeli air defense systems<\/a> and a coalition of allies that helped. It\u2019s the first time Iran has carried out an attack targeting Israeli soil from within its borders.<\/p>\n<p>Iran hadn\u2019t attacked Israel directly up until this weekend, instead utilizing its network of proxy forces in the Middle East. Tehran carried out the attack against Israel in retaliation for the bombing of an Iranian Consulate in Damascus, Syria, that resulted in the death of Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps general, and a handful of others.<\/p>\n<p>While Iran put its arsenal on display with the rockets and missiles it fired, Israel\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/israel-vows-unprecedented-response-to-iranian-missile-drone-attack\/\" title=\"Israel promises a strong reaction to Iranian missile and drone strike\">layered air defense system<\/a>, with support from allies, proved very effective. Israeli and U.S. officials said, in total, they were able to intercept 99% of the fired munitions, many of which did not even reach Israeli airspace.<\/p>\n<figure><figcaption>Israeli Iron Dome air defense system launches to intercept missiles fired from Iran in central Israel on Sunday, April 14, 2024. (AP Photo\/Tomer Neuberg)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The lack of significant damage and casualties will likely play a major role in how Israel chooses to respond, even though leaders warned they would retaliate if Tehran carried out an attack.<\/p>\n<p>President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/joe-biden\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Joe Biden<\/a> and his administration do not want to see Israel go to war against Iran, and they are hoping to lower the temperature between the two adversaries.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe don\u2019t want a war with Iran,\u201d National Security Council coordinator John Kirby said on CNN on Monday morning. \u201cWe don\u2019t seek to widen and broaden this conflict. We don\u2019t want to see things escalate. As a matter of fact, what we want to do is see things de-escalate. And defending Israel the way we help do on Saturday should have that effect.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s no question that what Iran tried to do, and I emphasize the word, \u2018tried\u2019 to do, was an escalatory step, no question. I mean, it was an unprecedented aerial attack from Iranian soil to Israeli soil. We haven\u2019t seen that,\u201d he added. \u201cI mean, that\u2019s a huge step in the wrong direction.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A senior administration official <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/defense\/2965612\/us-officials-do-not-envision-participation-in-israels-counterattack-and-stress-deescalation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>told<\/a> reporters over the weekend that the United States does not \u201cenvision\u201d participating in an Israeli retaliation, explaining that \u201cno one wants to run up the escalation ladder.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>However, former Defense Secretary <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/mark-esper\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Mark Esper<\/a> told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> that Israel has to \u201cstrike back hard\u201d to restore deterrence.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think the scale and scope for the attack was disproportionate to the initial strike by the Israelis in Syria, and I think it risks changing the dynamic of how both countries face off against one another in a very dangerous and negative way for Israel in the region,\u201d he explained. \u201cSo my view is Israel probably has to strike back hard and try to reestablish deterrence and make sure the Iranians know that they can\u2019t strike Israel, with 300-plus missiles and drones with impunity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While Esper acknowledged \u201cnobody wants to see a wider war,\u201d he warned that if \u201cIsrael doesn\u2019t strike back forcefully, then they\u2019re going to change the dynamics\u201d of deterrence, which \u201cis far more dangerous.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Former U.S. Central Command Commander Frank McKenzie said on CBS\u2019s <em>Face the Nation<\/em> that Israel has several targets \u201cboth inside Iran and outside Iran\u201d they could choose from, though he said that if he were still in that role, he would advise Israel to show \u201crestraint.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere will be voices that will urge the Israelis to take out the Iranian nuclear program, which I think is a false chimera anyway. But I would argue that if you\u2019re going to do something, and they may have to do something, I would be precise, I would be short,\u201d he said. \u201d\u00a0But sometimes, when you\u2019re in that position, showing some restraint is the best strategic option that you can take.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Iran\u2019s proxy forces have attacked Israel and U.S. interests in the Middle East in recent months.<\/p>\n<p>Two of those groups \u2014 Hamas, which is based in Gaza, and Hezbollah, which is in Lebanon \u2014 have battled Israeli forces for months. Hamas\u2019s Oct. 7 terrorist attack in Israel, which entailed the killing of roughly 1,200 people and the kidnapping of roughly 250 others, ignited the conflict in the region. As Israeli forces take on Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Hezbollah has exchanged rocket and missile fire with Israel, but it has not devolved into a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-gives-up-on-stopping-putin-in-ukraine-he-will-move-in-he-has-to-do-something\/\" title=\"Biden Gives Up on Stopping Putin in Ukraine: 'He Will Move In, He Has to Do Something'\">full-blown war<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Israel has gotten international support in the aftermath of Iran\u2019s attack, a dramatic change from the frequent criticism the country has received for how it has conducted its war against Hamas.<\/p>\n<p>The United Kingdom, France, and Germany all <a href=\"https:\/\/www.timesofisrael.com\/european-allies-urge-israel-against-military-response-to-iran-as-war-cabinet-convenes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>urged<\/a> Israel not to retaliate militarily to avoid escalating the conflict.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Israeli officials are deliberating on Israel&#8217;s reaction to Iran&#8217;s recent aerial assault. Over 300 drones and missiles were launched by Tehran towards Israel over the weekend. Despite this, most were intercepted by Israeli air defenses and a coalition<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2671,"featured_media":2221358,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/wex-s3.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/AP24104816378917-1024x591.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2221357","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/wex-s3.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/AP24104816378917-1024x591.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2221357","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2671"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2221357"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2221357\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2221358"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2221357"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2221357"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2221357"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}