Israel has assured the US administration that it will not target nuclear and oil facilities in Iran while delivering a retaliation strike, the Associated Press reported, citing sources, Report informs via TASS.
According to the sources, a US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery and 100 US soldiers sent to Israel to service it have helped ease Israel’s concerns about Iran’s potential retaliation and other security threats. The sources, however, warned that these are not absolute guarantees and the situation may change.
The sources also noted that Israel’s record of fulfilling such assurances in the past is ambiguous and depended on the political layout inside the country. They cited the latest example when last month Israel promised to support the US and French initiative on a ceasefire in Lebanon but delivered a massive airstrike killing Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah two days later.
The Washington Post reported on October 14 that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had notified the Joe Biden administration about Israel’s pals to hit military targets in Iran and reassured that Israeli forces would not target nuclear and oil sites.
On October 1, Iran launched a massive missile attack against the Jewish state in response to the killing of senior officials from the Palestinian movement Hamas, the Lebanon-based Shia movement Hezbollah and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Tehran said that 90% of the missiles hit their designated targets. Israel, in turn, said that Iran had fired some 180 missiles into the country, most of which were intercepted. The Israeli General Staff vowed to choose the right moment to surprise Iran with a counterattack, while Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that Israel would see even larger-scale strikes.