Take it from Benjamin Netanyahu. Iran made a big mistake and it will pay for it. We will keep to the rule we have determined. Whoever attacks us, we attack them. Netanyahu said that on Tuesday, within hours of the Iranian attack. But since then, he has been focusing on Lebanon. We haven’t seen direct retaliation against Iran yet. And that’s because Israel is figuring out what to strike, where to strike. There are a number of potential targets, nuclear, oil, military facilities in Iran.
First, there’s Iran’s nuclear program. Now, Iran doesn’t have a nuclear weapon. It was work in progress. But officially Tehran stopped developing nukes in the year 2003, or rather they paused their efforts. That’s what they say. But they still have nuclear facilities all over the country. As you can see on this map, Iran can make weapons-grade nuclear material. It can enrich uranium at some of these sites, and these facilities are in use despite the nuclear pause.
Tehran hasn’t gone all the way yet, but it keeps nuclear material production on the precipice. so that if anything major happens, it can rapidly complete a nuclear weapon or two. All of Iran’s enemies know this. Israel knows it. The US knows it. And everyone else does. Which is why Joe Biden said this. The answer is no. And there’s things that we’ll be discussing with the Israelis, what they’re going to do. But all seven of us agree that they have a right to respond, but they should respond in proportion.
It would be almost impossible to blow them up. So if Israel manages to blow up one nuclear facility, Iran can ramp up production at another and develop a working nuclear bomb in a matter of days. That is why Joe Biden doesn’t want Israel to go after Iran’s nuclear sites, because that is an all or nothing gamble. If even one site is still functional, then Iran will become the world’s next nuclear power. That is why Israel probably won’t target Iran’s nuclear facilities, at least not seriously. But they could conduct a symbolic strike at one of the smaller facilities, just to show Iran that Israel can attack their nuclear sites.
The attack was close to an Iranian nuclear site, even though it wasn’t directly targeted. Israel basically let them off with a warning, a symbolic show. So a direct but limited attack at a nuclear plant could be an option. at least according to Israel’s former prime minister, even though it is risky. But Netanyahu has other options too, including going back to the basics.
Israel could just target military facilities, airfields, drone bases, missile silos. It could even go after production facilities, target Iran’s drone and missile factories. It isn’t flashy, it isn’t extremely sophisticated, but it will send the message. And technically, this is the only thing allowed according to the standard rules of war. But Israel hasn’t really been playing by any rules lately. Netanyahu doesn’t care about what he hits, as long as it does serious damage. And what will really hurt Iran is going after its pocket. We’re in discussion with that.
He revealed that Israel is thinking about attacking Iran’s oil facilities. Biden said discussions are ongoing. Is the U.S. discussing this internally? Are they holding discussions with Israel? Biden did not confirm. But it seems that attacks on Iranian oil are a possibility. So let’s turn to the map again. Iran is an oil rich nation. It has drilling facilities, refineries, and export terminals everywhere. But the sites you’re seeing are only the major ones. Israel’s most obvious target would be the Karg oil terminal.
It’s on an island in the Persian Gulf, removed from the Iranian mainland. But more importantly, it’s Tehran’s biggest export hub by far. The Kharg oil terminal handles more than 90% of Iran’s exports. That’s millions of barrels every day being converted into essential funds to keep Iran’s regime afloat. If this export stops, Iran gets hammered economically. But this will also have a domino effect. Iran mostly sells oil to China. If Tehran is forced to stop, Beijing will look elsewhere, causing prices to surge. And Joe Biden won’t like that because oil prices are a sensitive topic this close to US elections.
Summary: So Biden may try and stop Netanyahu from hitting the Karg oil terminal, but there are other oil facilities as well, like the Abadan refinery near Iran’s border with Iraq. This is a domestic facility, so if Israel attacks it, global prices may still remain stable. And Netanyahu will have his revenge. It’s cynical because ordinary people will bear the brunt But Israel may still consider it an option. There are other facilities too, of course, like the Kish and Keshm Islands, near the Strait of Hormuz.
These are smaller export hubs, so attacking them would just be symbolic. But will that be enough for Prime Minister Netanyahu? As you can see, there are a lot of factors for Israel to consider, and it will take action after thinking things through, hopefully. It’s a tense situation. because their next move has the potential to push West Asia over the edge and plunge the world into chaos. We’re hoping it doesn’t come to that Explains how America chooses its president. primer on the race to the White House, everything you need to know about how America votes, and its global implications. U.S.
