In recent days, United States President Donald Trump received a comprehensive review of options for attacking Iran, which were jointly developed by the White House and the Pentagon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to a report this evening (Thursday) by The Wall Street Journal, the briefings are being held after the Gulf states' mediation efforts have so far failed to bring the parties to the negotiating table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to American officials cited in the report, one of the main options presented to the president is known as the \"Grand Plan.\" This scenario includes a broad airstrike of bombs \u2013 which would focus on both Iranian regime targets and strategic Revolutionary Guard installations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alongside the broad option, Trump was also presented with more limited alternatives: attacks on "symbolic targets" of the regime to signal Iran to back down, cyberattacks on the Iranian banking system, or a dramatic tightening of economic sanctions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a limited security discussion tonight. Channel 12 reported that Israel estimates that a limited US military move will not lead to the overthrow of the Iranian regime. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In Israel, it is believed that Trump, who initially signaled that he wanted to pursue regime change, does not think that military action can lead to the overthrow of the regime at this point in time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the report, President Trump's tweet leads to the assessment in Israel that the president, who initially signaled that he wanted to pursue a regime change move, does not believe that there is a military move on the agenda that could lead to the aforementioned result at this point in time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Senior Israeli officials also believe that a limited military move that is not comprehensive enough and perhaps too long will not lead to the overthrow of the regime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Therefore, Trump, according to Israeli estimates, wants to focus the attack on physical targets, if he does indeed order military action. Those targets could be nuclear sites and possibly ballistic missiles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Assuming these are the US's goals, the assessment is that Iran will respond towards Israel, and this will of course exacerbate the entire conflict, because in such a scenario Israel will respond with force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to a report in the Reuters news agency, authorities in Iran have arrested thousands of people in recent days and imprisoned them in temporary, undeclared facilities, with the aim of sowing fear. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The sources who spoke to Reuters said that the arrests appeared to be intended to prevent any renewal of protests if a US attack occurred.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, Israel recognizes great pressure being exerted by Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar, and Oman to mediate between the US and Iran and prevent escalation. For now, the path to negotiations seems blocked - but the Gulf states are confident that it is possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Either way, the US has continued in recent days to bring military forces to the Middle East. Today, an air defense battery was deployed in Jordan, and additional aircraft, including an advanced reconnaissance aircraft, were brought to the region. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the same time, the US continues to conduct military exercises in the Middle East.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The actions taken by the Americans in recent days raise the assessment in Israel that the US has passed the point of no return, and that it is going to attack Iran. However, as mentioned, Israel does not know what the scale of that attack will be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Israel is prepared for the possibility of rapid deterioration. However, it may take some time for the US buildup in the region to be complete.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u05e0\u05e9\u05d9\u05d0 \u05d0\u05e8\u05e6\u05d5\u05ea \u05d4\u05d1\u05e8\u05d9\u05ea, \u05d3\u05d5\u05e0\u05dc\u05d3 \u05d8\u05e8\u05d0\u05de\u05e4, \u05e7\u05d9\u05d1\u05dc \u05d1\u05d9\u05de\u05d9\u05dd \u05d4\u05d0\u05d7\u05e8\u05d5\u05e0\u05d9\u05dd \u05e1\u05e7\u05d9\u05e8\u05d4 \u05de\u05e7\u05d9\u05e4\u05d4 \u05e9\u05dc \u05d0\u05d5\u05e4\u05e6\u05d9\u05d5\u05ea \u05d4\u05ea\u05e7\u05d9\u05e4\u05d4 \u05d1\u05d0\u05d9\u05e8\u05d0\u05df, \u05d0\u05e9\u05e8 \u05e4\u05d5\u05ea\u05d7\u05d5 \u05d1\u05de\u05e9\u05d5\u05ea\u05e3 \u05e2\u05dc \u05d9\u05d3\u05d9 \u05d4\u05d1\u05d9\u05ea \u05d4\u05dc\u05d1\u05df \u05d5\u05d4\u05e4\u05e0\u05d8\u05d2\u05d5\u05df. \u05dc\u05e4\u05d9 \u05d3\u05d9\u05d5\u05d5\u05d7 \u05d4\u05e2\u05e8\u05d1 (\u05d7\u05de\u05d9\u05e9\u05d9), \u05e9\u05dc '\u05d4\u05d5\u05d5\u05dc \u05e1\u05d8\u05e8\u05d9\u05d8 \u05d2'\u05d5\u05e8\u05e0\u05dc', \u05d4\u05ea\u05d3\u05e8\u05d5\u05db\u05d9\u05dd \u05de\u05ea\u05e7\u05d9\u05d9\u05de\u05d9\u05dd \u05dc\u05d0\u05d7\u05e8 \u05e9\u05de\u05d0\u05de\u05e6\u05d9 \u05d4\u05ea\u05d9\u05d5\u05d5\u05da \u05e9\u05dc \u05de\u05d3\u05d9\u05e0\u05d5\u05ea \u05d4\u05de\u05e4\u05e8\u05e5 \u05dc\u05d0 \u05d4\u05e6\u05dc\u05d9\u05d7\u05d5 \u05e2\u05d3 \u05db\u05d4 \u05dc\u05d4\u05d5\u05d1\u05d9\u05dc \u05d0\u05ea \u05d4\u05e6\u05d3\u05d3\u05d9\u05dd \u05dc\u05e9\u05d5\u05dc\u05d7\u05df \u05d4\u05de\u05e9\u05d0 \u05d5\u05de\u05ea\u05df. \u05e2\u05dc \u05e4\u05d9 \u05d2\u05d5\u05e8\u05de\u05d9\u05dd \u05d0\u05de\u05e8\u05d9\u05e7\u05e0\u05d9\u05dd \u05e9\u05e6\u05d5\u05d8\u05d8\u05d5 \u05d1\u05d3\u05d9\u05d5\u05d5\u05d7, \u05d0\u05d7\u05ea […]","protected":false},"author":53,"featured_media":1019052,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[1934,16694,42362],"class_list":["post-1043125","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-24","tag-1934","tag-16694","tag-42362"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n