Israel had deliberated on carrying out a retaliatory strike against Iran on Monday night but eventually opted to delay it, as reported by five Israeli and U.S. sources to Axios.
Israel has made a pledge to retaliate against Iran in response to an extraordinary missile and drone assault. The Biden administration has cautioned that any escalation with Iran would not be in the best interests of the U.S. or Israel. U.S. officials encouraged Israel to exercise caution in their response.
There is apprehension within the U.S. government that continued counterattacks could lead to a broader regional escalation. A U.S. official expressed uncertainty regarding the proximity of the potential strike, while another U.S. official corroborated that Israel communicated its decision to postpone to the Biden administration on Monday.
A third U.S. official shared concerns that even a modest Israeli strike on Iran could provoke an Iranian counterstrike. The Biden administration is hopeful that any retaliation from Iran would be more contained than the recent attack on Israel and would bring an end to the cycle of hostilities between the two nations.
This marks the second instance where a decision on Israel’s retaliatory action has been deferred since Saturday. On Monday, the Israeli war cabinet contemplated authorizing the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for a strike on Iran. However, a choice was made later that night to not proceed with the operation due to operational considerations, as per two Israeli officials.
An American official indicated that Israeli authorities informed the Biden administration about the war cabinet meeting on Monday and vowed to update them on the outcomes. Subsequent to the meeting, Israeli officials informed the Biden administration that they had opted to postpone the decision.
