Netanyahu iced pre-approved plans for immediate Iran reprisal after Biden call — report

The Kan public broadcaster reports that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shelved pre-prepared plans for retaliation against Iran’s weekend barrage after speaking with US President Joe Biden shortly after the attack early Sunday.

According to the report, the cabinet had already approved a series of possible responses depending on the scope of the Iranian attack, which were slated to be carried out immediately following the Iranian fusillade.

“The response won’t be what was planned any longer, diplomatic sensitivities won out,” a senior source is quoted telling the network. “There will be a response, but it seems it will be different from what was planned.”

The network notes that the comments likely point to a weaker response than what had been approved.

Kan also quotes unnamed Western diplomats saying that “the understanding is that Israel will respond.”

The Ynet news site reports that most of the Israeli leadership and military brass support an attack on Iran in response, but some are opposed, led by Shas leader Aryeh Deri, who publicly spoke out against allowing the situation to escalate earlier in the day.

Meanwhile, Brig. Gen. Doron Gavish, the former commander of Israel’s air defense who is now serving in reserves, says the air force is preparing for future attacks from Iran, with Tehran threatening an immediate response should Israel retaliate.

He says the Air Force has been reviewing its successful defense against Iran’s missile attack over the weekend as it makes adjustments for potential additional fighting.

“We are preparing ourselves for the next time, debriefing the mission and seeing how could we prepare ourselves for the next attack,” Gavish says from a military base in southern Israel.