Myri Aizin to Voice of America: Israel Targets Threats 'Openly and Secretly'

Myri Aizin, director of the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism at Reichman University in Israel, stated in an interview with Siamak Dehghanpour from Voice of America that, as the Prime Minister and Minister of Defense of Israel have separately stated, Israel will act and the people of Israel are waiting for a 'decision to be made.' Retired Colonel Aizin, who spoke from Tel Aviv, reminded that 'we are all waiting for a decision to be made, and this is not something we are informed about. Let me be clear, the Prime Minister and Minister of Defense have each issued statements saying we will act.' Aizin explained, 'We Israelis are waiting for that action, but no one knows what the target will be and when it will happen.' She also emphasized that the targets for Israel's response to the Islamic Republic's missile attacks could be very clear, like Israel's actions against the Houthis in Yemen; or secretive, meaning the actions that have previously been attributed to Israel in Iran or throughout the Middle East. Regarding the conversation between U.S. President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Aizin added, 'The United States is a strategic partner of Israel, and this is not just a word. We are an independent country, not the fifty-first state of the U.S. You need to discuss this with your strategic ally and try to coordinate actions with your partner.' On potential Israeli targets in Iran, she emphasized, 'If Israel feels there is an existential and real threat that needs to be addressed, it can attack nuclear sites; of course, oil regions and ports are also other discussed targets.' Additionally, Bernard Haykel, a professor of Near Eastern Studies and Islamic Studies at Princeton University, stated on Thursday that Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, sent three important messages to the Iranian government during a meeting with Abbas Araghchi, the Iranian Foreign Minister, saying that 'a country like Saudi Arabia will remain neutral and will not allow Israel or any other country to use its water, land, and air to attack Iran. Saudi Arabia does not want to be a side in this war.' Reuters reported on Thursday that Gulf Arab countries have asked the U.S. to prevent Israel from attacking Iranian oil facilities. According to the report, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar have told the U.S. that they will not allow Israel to attack Iran by flying over their airspace. This action by these countries follows diplomatic efforts by the Iranian government in recent days to persuade these countries to use their relations with the U.S. to pressure Israel amid growing concerns about a possible Israeli attack on Iranian oil facilities. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched over 180 ballistic missiles toward Israel on Tuesday night, escalating ongoing tensions in the Middle East unprecedentedly. While senior Israeli officials have stated that they will not leave the attack unanswered, there is much speculation about how Israel will respond to this unprecedented attack. Yoav Gallant, Israel's Minister of Defense, stated on Wednesday that his country's response to the Islamic Republic of Iran will be 'powerful, precise, and most importantly, surprising.' U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, during which Israel continues its military operations in Gaza and Lebanon and is considering its response to the recent missile attacks by the Iranian government.