Israeli media reported that the Israeli response to the Iranian attack would occur within 48 hours. Sources close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied any opposition to the Israeli response, affirming it would happen within hours. Channel 14 noted that the Cabinet decided to attack Iran tonight. "Politico" quoted an Israeli official stating that there would be a response to Iran that would not lead to a full-scale war in the Middle East.
"Yedioth Ahronoth" mentioned the conclusion of an Israeli war cabinet meeting regarding the response to the Iranian attack. Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari announced that the military "approved new defense and attack plans, clarifying that Iran has placed 60 tons of explosives on its missiles and drones.” An Israeli source familiar with the government's deliberations stated that the decision facing the five-member security cabinet, including Prime Minister Netanyahu, was whether to "take significant action" against Iran or respond more reasonably, according to the Financial Times.
The source added that discussions were ongoing with all of the country's key partners, especially the U.S. administration, but the final decision would ultimately be Israel's. Biden had advised Israel to take a measured approach. John Kirby, spokesman for the U.S. National Security Council, said on NBC's "Meet the Press," "We don’t want to see this escalation; we are not looking for a broader war with Iran." G7 leaders discussed the possibility of imposing additional sanctions on Iran in response to the attack, but there was no consensus on how to implement them, according to someone familiar with the discussion.
Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, who also participated in the G7 call, stated that discussions were taking place regarding sanctions on Iran targeting drone and missile programs. The leaders agreed that the attacks represented "a major victory for Israel," considering that almost all missiles were intercepted, and the country received support and solidarity from all its Western allies and some Middle Eastern powers. At Israel's request, the UN Security Council scheduled an emergency meeting on Sunday to discuss the attack.
