MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
Israel says it will hit Iran - and hit it hard - following a large missile attack on Israel. But exactly what options does Israel have when it is already waging war on multiple fronts? For a closer look, we are joined by NPR's Greg Myre. Hi, Greg.
GREG MYRE, BYLINE: Hi, Mary Louise.
KELLY: Start with what Israel is saying it might do.
MYRE: So Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran made a big mistake and it will pay for it. Whoever attacks us, we will attack them. And this has really been Israel's position for decades - you hit us, we hit back harder. So it's really not a question of if Israel will hit back, but a question of how and when. Two quick points about Iran's attack on Tuesday. First, it was a big one - 180 ballistic missiles, which pack a powerful punch, heading toward Israel in waves. And second, Israel's defenses, with an assist from the U.S, again proved quite capable and shot down most missiles.
Now, these two combined attacks, one in April by Iran and this one on Tuesday, means Iran has fired about 500 missiles and drones, and yet not a single Israeli has been killed. There's been just a few injuries and limited damage.
KELLY: Right - raises all kinds of questions about proportionality. OK, walk me through the range of military options that Israel might consider.
MYRE: So Israel's, of course, not saying what it might do, but there's certainly three that seem possible. One is a very targeted attack against a prominent Iranian official. An Israeli airstrike in April killed several senior Iranian military commanders in Syria. Israel has shown time and again the ability to do this. Second, Israel could go after Iran's oil facilities or ports. Oil is critical to Iran. However, this could disrupt global oil markets and spike prices and cause lots of unintended consequences. And third, Israel could target Iran's nuclear facilities, something Netanyahu has long threatened. However, these sites are well protected. Iran has intentionally spread them around the country so an attack on one wouldn't wipe out the larger program.
President Biden said today he would not support an Israeli attack on Iran's nuclear facilities. We know the U.S. and Israel are discussing possible options. We don't know if they'll agree.
KELLY: Greg, you're making me think there's a big difference between Israel fighting Iran's proxies - Hezbollah, Hamas and so on - and fighting Iran. From Israel's perspective, might it be smarter to focus on the proxies?
MYRE: Well, you know, that's certainly a possibility. Israel has dealt this very strong blow to Hezbollah and Lebanon the past two weeks, killing top leaders, knocking out its communication systems. And on Monday, Israel launched a ground incursion into southern Lebanon. And of course, Israel is still fighting in Gaza, where it has severely weakened Hamas. Now, if Israel opts for a large-scale, open-ended fight with Iran, it runs the risk of overreaching and not having all the resources it might need.
KELLY: What is the goal? What is Israel's strategic goal, whatever it opts for here?
MYRE: Yeah. I mean, that's been under consideration or being asked. Often, Netanyahu really hasn't spelled this out clearly. But if you had to boil it down to one word, it would probably be deterrence. Realistically, Israel can't eliminate all these threats from Iran and its proxies using military force alone. Israel has not been able to destroy Hamas and Gaza and is being widely criticized for all the civilian deaths, and delivering a knockout blow to Hezbollah in Lebanon is an even tougher task. And a decisive military victory over Iran probably isn't even possible.
KELLY: That's our national security correspondent, Greg Myre. Thank you, Greg.
MYRE: Sure thing, Mary Louise. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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