Israel’s response to Iran’s missile attack may involve targeting key infrastructure, figures: expert

TEHRAN, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) — Israel’s potential response to Iran’s missile attack in early October could involve targeting its military and energy infrastructure as well as assassinating its officials, a Tehran-based expert told Xinhua recently.
Israel might attack Iran’s nuclear facilities, oil infrastructure and some military centers or seek to assassinate a number of Iranian officials and figures involved in the military, security and defense areas, said Seyed Reza Sadr al-Hosseini, an expert on West Asia issues.
However, should Israel hit one of Iran’s power stations, it might only lead to a power outage lasting for a few hours in the country due to its nationwide electricity network featuring numerous power generation centers, al-Hosseini predicted.
The expert said Iran has made all the necessary and possible preparations for a likely Israeli attack.
Iranian armed forces have strengthened air defenses in key regions, and “if Israel takes any action, Iran will deal a hard blow to it proportionately” with greater intensity compared to the Israeli action, al-Hosseini said.
Meanwhile, Hassan Beheshtipour, a Tehran-based international affairs analyst, told Xinhua that Israel is probably considering different alternatives.
Whether nuclear or oil facilities, Israel would take any action to achieve its objectives, Beheshtipour said.
On Sunday, the U.S. Department of Defense said the United States will deploy a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery and associated crew of U.S. military personnel to Israel to help bolster the country’s air defenses in the wake of two missile attacks from Iran in April and October.
Beheshtipour noted that the delay in Israel’s retaliation for the recent Iranian strike is probably because it is waiting for the U.S. delivery so that it would be able to intercept Iranian hypersonic missiles.
Echoing al-Hosseini, Beheshtipour also believed that Iran is ready should the recent developments lead to an all-out war.
On Oct. 1, Iran fired approximately 180 missiles at Israeli targets, describing the strike as retaliation for the assassinations of several key resistance figures and Israel’s military actions against Lebanese and Palestinian populations.
In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Iran had made a “grave mistake” and pledged retaliation.
Regarding the Pentagon’s announcement of deploying the THAAD battery and associated crew to Israel, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned on Sunday that the United States would be endangering its troops by deploying them to Israel. ■