Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has approved plans for an imminent attack on Iran. Netanyahu has conveyed to the Biden administration his firm intention to carry out a targeted military strike against Iranian military targets, excluding oil or nuclear infrastructure, two officials briefed on the discussions told The Washington Post on Monday. According to the American newspaper, in last Wednesday’s phone call, the first after more than seven weeks, Netanyahu informed Biden of his desire to strike exclusively Iranian military targets. The information comes from a U.S. official and another source of knowledge of the matter. The White House preferred not to comment on the news, while the Israeli Prime Minister’s office said on Monday evening: “We take into account the views of the US administration, but final decisions will be based on Israeli national interests.” A US official further added: “The Israeli response is expected to be calibrated to avoid any perception of interference in US elections. Netanyahu was more cautious in this conversation than in previous discussions.” This development influenced President Biden’s decision to authorize the deployment of an advanced missile defense system in Israel. After the conversation, Biden was more inclined to move forward with implementing the system, the official added. This is a Terminal High Altitude Defense Missile System, or THAAD, to protect it from any retaliation that Iran will launch in response to Israel’s retaliation. The Pentagon confirmed Sunday that it had sent a THAAD battery to Israel, along with about 100 soldiers to operate the system. THAAD is the only US system designed to intercept targets outside and inside the atmosphere.
Hezbollah drone killed four IDF soldiers
According to the Israeli Air Force’s initial investigation into the attack, the Hezbollah drone that struck an IDF training base Sunday evening and killed four soldiers disappeared from radar, only to reappear briefly before hitting its target. According to details of the IAF investigation shared with The Times of Israel, the Hezbollah drone was part of a multi-pronged airstrike. The Lebanese terrorist group fired short-range rockets towards the north, three precision rockets towards Haifa and launched three drones towards Israel last night. One of the drones was shot down by the navy, another by the Iron Dome. The third drone was chased by Israeli fighter jets and helicopters, which fired twice at it, the IAF investigation reported. Electronic warfare countermeasures also failed to disorient the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The drone disappeared from radar about 48 kilometers north-east of Acre, and the IAF speculated that it had crashed.
The investigation later revealed that the drone reappeared on radar for about a minute in the half hour since it disappeared, but Israeli forces did not identify it and as a result, no warning alarms were activated. It is worth remembering that every day there are hundreds of objects flying in Israeli airspace, including birds, which complicates the detection of a drone in an unexpected location. During the war, approximately 1,200 drones were launched against Israel, and 221 of them managed to penetrate Israeli air defenses. Following the attack that killed four IDF servicemen, the IAF set itself the goal of completely eliminating Hezbollah’s Unit 127, responsible for the production, maintenance and operation of its UAVs, the Times of Israel has learned. From now on, the priority will be to kill every member of the unit, in terms of intelligence gathering and air strikes.
In claiming the attack, Hezbollah placed emphasis on what it described as its ability to overcome Israeli air defenses, as the Israeli army continues its ground operations against the terror group in southern Lebanon. During a visit to the Golani training base on Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his intention to continue attacks against Hezbollah. «We are facing a tough battle against the axis of evil, led by Iran, which seeks our total destruction. They won’t succeed. Let’s keep fighting. Even though we pay a heavy price, we have achieved exceptional results and will continue to do so. I want to be clear: we will strike Hezbollah relentlessly throughout Lebanon, including Beirut,” he declared, after Israeli and American media sources reported that Netanyahu had received instructions from Washington to avoid attacks in the Lebanese capital.
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