Israel welcomes US backing for potential Iran strike, cyber warfare options considered

Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian

Israel expressed satisfaction with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's strong backing for a potential strike on Iran.

Security officials revealed that the strike could occur in the coming days, following a highly restricted security consultation led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which took place after Blinken's departure.

Blinken had called for postponing the strike until after the U.S. presidential elections or limiting it to a "symbolic act" that would not provoke a response from Iran. However, the two sides did not reach an agreement.

According to security officials, Israel is not expected to target Iran’s nuclear facilities directly but has not ruled out including laboratories connected to nuclear installations, along with other objectives such as cyberattacks.

Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant issued a direct threat to Iran from the Hatzerim Airbase.

While striking Iran remains a priority for Israel, Blinken focused on attempting to achieve a breakthrough in the hostage exchange deal and a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas during his discussions.

He proposed a deal that would include the return of all hostages, the withdrawal of the Israeli army from Gaza, the handover of internal security to a police force under the Palestinian Authority, and the deployment of an international force along the Israel-Egypt border. 

Israel would then agree to resume negotiations with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in exchange for normalizing relations with Saudi Arabia.

Blinken's proposal was rejected by Israel, which is intensifying its operations in Gaza and expanding the second phase of its ground campaign in Lebanon, targeting Radwan Force fighters and Hezbollah's military infrastructure.

As Israel’s bombing campaign continues to destroy buildings and infrastructure in Lebanon, security agencies are working to address the challenges posed by drones that have breached Israeli airspace over the Golan Heights, northern Israel, Haifa, and even Tel Aviv. 

Both Haifa and Tel Aviv were major targets on Tuesday, hit by drones and rockets launched by Hezbollah.