Israeli Official Does Not Rule Out Attack on Iran's Nuclear Facilities

Tzipi Hotovely, Israel's ambassador to the UK, refrained from dismissing the possibility of an Israeli attack on Iran's nuclear facilities during an interview on Sunday. In response to a question about whether Israel would strike Iran's nuclear sites in reaction to last week's missile attack by the Islamic Republic, he stated: "I tell you that Israel is determined to... eliminate the threat [from the Iranian regime]." The ambassador reminded that the Islamic Republic has directly attacked Israel twice with hundreds of missiles, and if Israel did not have a good defense system and well-organized civilians in shelters, these attacks would have resulted in thousands of casualties. Hotovely emphasized that Israel does not wish to be under the threat of Iran's missile capabilities and the 'ring of fire' from the regime's proxies, and "for this reason, we will dismantle the threat." According to him, the decision on how to do this rests with the Israeli government. When asked again if Israel might attack Iran's nuclear facilities, he said: "First, we will do everything to eliminate the threat. Secondly, if the world wants to prevent such a thing, it must first stop Iran from acquiring nuclear capabilities." In a separate interview with Sky News, he also stated that "all options are on the table" regarding a direct attack on Iran. He added, "The Prime Minister [Netanyahu] has clearly stated that he will not allow such a threat to continue." Referring to Iran's "very strategic plan" to destroy Israel, the creation of a 'ring of fire' consisting of proxy groups around Israel, and two direct attacks by the Iranian regime on Israel, he said: "Iran made a mistake and will pay the price for this mistake. We say this loudly and clearly." On the night of April 14 of this year, Iran launched over 320 ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones towards Israel, most of which were intercepted by a coalition of Israel, the US, France, the UK, and Jordan before reaching Israel. On Tuesday night, October 2, the Islamic Republic, in "response to all of Israel's actions over the past year and the killing of senior commanders of the IRGC and the regime's proxy forces in the region," launched its second direct attack on Israel with 180 ballistic missiles. Israeli officials stated that 90% of these missiles were intercepted before hitting Israeli territory, and the remaining 10% caused no significant damage or casualties. Senior Israeli officials immediately emphasized that they would respond strongly to these attacks. Gallant's warning to the Iranian regime: You may face the fate of Gaza and Beirut. Times of Israel: Return of the Iranian plane from Iraqi airspace after warnings from the Israeli army. A senior US State Department official: Israel has given no guarantee of not targeting nuclear facilities in Iran. Reuters: Gulf Arab states are neutral in the Iran-Israel dispute. G7 statement condemning the IRGC's missile attack on Israel and warning of uncontrollable escalation of conflicts. Reuters report: Which nuclear facilities of the Islamic Republic would be potential targets for Israel?