The big question following Iran’s attack over the weekend is, of course, what Israel does now. Even as Israel’s allies in the U.S., U.K., France and Germany all call for restraint and insist that Israel’s near-perfect air defense system signaled military strength, Israel still fears that inaction will be perceived domestically as cowardice and by Iran and its proxies as weakness.
Still, the question is not really if Israel will respond, but how. Israeli officials said as much yesterday, and the country’s war cabinet met yesterday to discuss potential responses, although everything from diplomacy to an imminent strike was reportedly considered. Realistically, Israel will likely attack Iran in some capacity, either through:
The latter could very easily spiral into a regional conflagration and would itself raise a whole series of new questions. That’s what we want to explore today.