 "Israel carries out strike against Iran: What could Tehran’s next steps be?")
Friday morning (19 April), Iranians woke up to the sounds of explosions, with reports stating that Israel had responded to Tehran’s last weekend’s attack.
Shortly after the explosions took place, around 5.49 am in Tehran, reports also came in that the nation had suspended flights and that flyers at Iran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport were informed that all flights had been cancelled.
If it is to be believed that the explosions are Israel’s answer to the weekend attack, how will Tehran respond? What options does it have? What may come next?
Explosions heard, flights cancelled and more
Early Friday morning, a loud explosion was reported from the Iranian city of Ghahjaworstan, located northwest of the city of Isfahan, according to the Iranian semi-official FARS news agency. “The city of Ghahjaworstan is located near Isfahan Airport and the eighth hunting base of the Army Air Force,” FARS news said.
Isfahan is home to sites associated with Iran’s nuclear program, including its underground Natanz enrichment site, which has been repeatedly targeted by suspected Israeli attacks. However, state television described all sites in the area as “fully safe.”
A US official confirmed to ABC News that the explosion was courtesy an Israel strike on the nation. Later, two other US officials asserted to CBS News that an Israeli missile has hit Iran.
Israel’s action is believed to be its response to Iran for the weekend strike it carried out in which it unleashed over 300 missiles and drones at the Jewish nation. Despite the scale of the attack, least damage had been caused, as ‘99 per cent’ of the projectiles had been intercepted, courtesy Israel’s multi-layered aerial defence system and its allies, the US, UK, France and even Jordan .
Impact Shorts
More ShortsShortly after the explosions, Iran has suspended flights over several cities including the central city of Isfahan. “Flights over Isfahan, Shiraz and Tehran cities have been suspended,” state media reports.
Additionally, announcements were made at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport that all flights were cancelled and passengers were ordered to leave the airport. News agency AP reported that Dubai-based carriers Emirates and FlyDubai began diverting around western Iran about 4.30 am local time. They offered no explanation, though local warnings to aviators suggested the airspace may have been closed.
State television also reported the news, announcing that a “loud noise” had occurred near Isfahan.
Iran, it is reported, soon fired air defence batteries, with the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) stating that defences had been fired across several provinces. However, it didn’t elaborate on what caused the batteries to fire.
A US official, according to a Times of Israel report, stated that while Israel had struck Iran, their target wasn’t a nuclear facility. Fox News citing a source added that the strike was “limited.”
As of now, neither Israel nor the US has officially confirmed anything.
Meanwhile, Iran says it shot down several drones and that there had been “no missile attack for now” on the country. Several drones “have been successfully shot down by the country’s air defense, there are no reports of a missile attack for now,” Iran’s space agency spokesman Hossein Dalirian said on X.
Iran’s counter-response
Now that it is believed that Israel has launched a ‘limited’ strike on Iran, we explore what could Tehran’s next steps be. Analysts note that Israel’s tit-for-tat action threatens to trigger further deadly conflict throughout West Asia.
Earlier, on Thursday (18 April), Iran had warned that its response to Israel in case of any further military action would be “immediate and at a maximum level”. “In case the Israeli regime embarks on adventurism again and takes action against the interests of Iran, the next response from us will be immediate and at a maximum level,” Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian had told CNN’s Erin Burnett in an interview.
He added that Iran sincerely hoped Israel would not repeat “the previous egregious error,” referencing the apparent Israeli strike in Damascus. “If the Israeli regime commits the grave error once again our response will be decisive, definitive and regretful for them,” said the foreign minister, “We do not seek to create tension and crisis or increase such situations in the Middle East and we sincerely hope the Israeli regime does not repeat the previous egregious error.”
Meanwhile, a top Iranian commander also hinted that the country could develop nuclear weapons if Israel were to launch an attack. Ahmad Haqtalab, a Revolutionary Guards’ officer who heads the nuclear protection and security corps, said to IRNA agency, “If the fake Zionist regime intends to resort to the threat of attacking our nuclear facilities as a means to put pressure on Iran, reviewing the current doctrine and nuclear policies of the Islamic Republic and distancing from past considerations is possible and conceivable.”
Even Iranian armed forces’ chief of staff, Maj Gen Mohammad Bagheri had warned that Iran’s response to Israel if the Jewish nation chose to counter would be bigger. In the immediate aftermath of Saturday’s attack, Bagheri had said: “Our response will be much larger than tonight’s military action if Israel retaliates against Iran.”
Besides a nuclear threat, which in the opinion of analysts seems highly unlikely, Iran has several other weapons in its arsenal to counterattack Israel. Tehran boasts of being one of the largest arsenals of ballistic missiles and drones in West Asia. This includes cruise missiles and anti-ship missiles, as well as ballistic missiles with ranges up to 2,000 kilometres.
Moreover, there’s also the fear that Iran’s proxy militias, also known as the Axis of Resistance, which includes the Hezbollah , Hamas, Houthis would get even further involved in the conflict.
In fact, Hezbollah’s second in command Naim Qassem in a previous interview to NBC News said: “If Israel attacks us and aggresses us, then we will definitely respond. If they escalate, we will escalate.”
A larger war
Now, what comes next? Many fear that the attack, the counter attack and a possible retaliation to the attack would lead to a larger conflict in the region.
The US, UK and others would like to avoid a larger escalation as it threatens to upend the geopolitical order in the world. It also could have an impact on the global oil prices .
As of now, Australia has already urged its citizens to leave Israel, fearing more violence. “There’s a high threat of military reprisals and terrorist attacks against Israel and Israeli interests across the region. The security situation could deteriorate quickly. We urge Australians in Israel or the Occupied Palestinian Territories to depart if it’s safe to do so,” said a post.
With inputs from agencies
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