Israel 'narrows down' targets in Iran as retaliation fears keep Middle East on edge

File: Missiles launched from Iran towards Israel streak across the night sky (AP)

Israel has not made any major decision yet over a possible retaliation to the October 3 Iran missile attack but has possibly narrowed down its targets, media reports said.

On Thursday, Israel's security cabinet held a crucial meeting where it reportedly discussed a response to Iran but did not arrive at a final decision, The Times of Israel reported.

Israeli sources told The Times of Israel that Jerusalem is coordinating closely with the Americans over its possible response. The sources added that strategic discussions are ongoing between the two sides, even as global uncertainty lingers regarding the potential scale of the response.

In a separate report, NBC News quoted US officials as saying that Israel has identified its targets for retaliation.

The officials said that Israel is likely to attack Iranian military and energy infrastructure.

They added that Israel is unlikely to attack Iran's nuclear facilities or eliminate high-profile leaders — a long-feared possibility which can trigger a wider conflict.

The officials also told NBC News that Israel hasn't taken a final decision on its response yet.

The Times of Israel said that US and Israel are mostly in agreement over the challenges plaguing the Middle East, adding that a recent phone call between US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was "positive".

The region has been in the grip of tensions ever since Iran launched nearly 200 missiles at Israel last week in response to the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and other top commanders.

The attack did not cause much damage as Israel's powerful defence systems managed to neutralise most of the missiles. However, Iran warned that any Israeli retaliation will be met with a "crushing response".

Israel PM Netanyahu said that Iran made a "big mistake" by launching the missile attack and will pay the price.

Since the attack, Iran has been on the edge and is engaging in diplomatic efforts with other nations in the Middle East.

A report in the CNN said that Iran is trying to gauge whether the countries can help reduce the scale of Israel’s response and – if that fails – protect Tehran.

Sources told CNN that Iran believes that US influence on Israel has been waning over the recent months and Jerusalem may not heed Washington's calls for a moderate response.

They noted that Israel did not consult US before executing the pager explosions in Lebanon last month or killing Hezbollah chief Nasrallah in Beirut.

Moreover, a Wall Street Journal report said that Gulf states are now also urging US to prevent Israel from attacking Iran’s oil sites. The countries are apparently worried that their own oil facilities may come under attack from Tehran’s proxies in case the conflict escalates, the report added.

Meanwhile, US officials said that there is still no clarity regarding the timeline of Israel's response or whether it has even reached a consensus on it yet.

Some reports suggested that the response may even take place during the Yom Kippur holidays over the weekend. Yom Kippur, which is also called the Day of Atonement, is a holiday where Jewish people reflect on their sins and ask for forgiveness from God and those they have wronged.