Israeli leaders originally discussed bombarding several military targets across Iran last week, including near the capital Tehran, in retaliation for the Iranian strike on April 13.
| Israel abandoned plans for a much more extensive counterstrike on Iran after concerted diplomatic pressure from the United States and other foreign allies and because the brunt of an Iranian assault on Israel soil had been thwarted, according to three senior Israeli officials.
In the end – after President Joe Biden, along with the British and German foreign ministers, urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to prevent a wider war – Israel opted for a One missile on Friday hit an anti-aircraft battery in a strategically important part of central Iran, while another exploded in midair, the officials said. One Israeli official said that the Israeli air force intentionally destroyed the second missile once it became clear that the first had reached its target, to avoid causing too much damage. One Western official said it was possible the missile had simply malfunctioned.
This time proved different: Within a week, Iran began privately signalling to neighbours and foreign diplomats that its patience had reached a limit, and that it would respond with a major strike on Israel – its first ever direct attack on Israeli soil.During the week of April 8, Israel began preparing two major military responses, according to the Israeli officials.
Israel’s military and political leaders began discussing a counterstrike that could begin as soon as Iran began firing the drones – even before it was known how much damage, if any, they caused.
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