Middle East | What could Israel strike in Iran? Maps and satellite images show strategically important locations

of Israel response to Iran’s Tuesday night missile strike is only a matter of time, according to the Israeli leadership.

Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that Iran “made a big mistake and will pay”. President Joe Biden has assured the United States of the full support of Israel, its close ally. Biden has also said that he is involved in discussions regarding Israel’s response, reports the television channel Al Jazeera.

So far, it is unclear where and when Israel would strike in Iran. The concern is that an Israeli strike could escalate the situation into an even wider war in the Middle East. Iran has signaled that it will launch another attack if Israel retaliates forcefully, reports the news site Axios.

There are many options for targets of Israeli strikes in Iran, and according to official Israeli statements, all of them are possible. Israel could, for example, attack nuclear power plants, oil refineries and Iranian military targets, or carry out precision strikes to kill individual Iranian Revolutionary Guards. Israeli army representative Daniel Hagari says that Israel will respond “to whatever, whenever and however we decide”.

A lieutenant colonel specializing in Middle East security policy at the Defense Forces Research Institute Juha Mäkelä evaluate In an interview with HS on Wednesdaythat Israel will most likely respond to an Iranian missile attack with its own precision strike. Targets could be military bases or research facilities involved in Iran’s nuclear weapons program. Israel made a precision strike on military targets also after Iran’s attack in April.

HS lists the most important targets at which Israel could direct its counterattack.

The United States does not support attacks on the nuclear power program

One among the most controversial targets would be the facilities belonging to Iran’s nuclear program. It is widely known that Iran is enriching uranium beyond civilian use, even though Iran is not a nuclear weapons state. Iran has enough almost nuclear fuel for about three nuclear bombs, he says The Wall Street Journal. Estimates of how long it would actually take Iran to develop a nuclear weapon vary.

Iran’s nuclear program includes, for example, the uranium enrichment center in Natanz, as well as the Fordow enrichment plant, which is dug into the mountain. Iran also runs, among other things, the nuclear technology center near the city of Isfahan, the Khondab research reactor and the Tehran research center, which also has a research reactor. The news agency reports about it Reuters.

According to President Joe Biden, the United States would not support an Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear power areas. The Iranian missile strike did not cause significant destruction in Israel, so striking a nuclear power could be seen as disproportionate and it could only accelerate the pace of Iran’s nuclear program, Al Jazeera estimates.

Israel may try to weaken Iran’s air defenses

One among the most obvious possible targets for Israeli strikes are Iranian military sites and air bases. On Tuesday, Iran launched ballistic missiles aimed at Israel from near the cities of Tabriz, Tehran and Isfahan. In addition, the target of the strike could be the Iranian naval base in the port city of Bushehr, which is also an important energy infrastructure center for Iran.

The United States warned Israel of the Iranian attack on Tuesday, when Israel had time to prepare its anti-aircraft system for use. Iran also has an anti-aircraft system that Israel can target to undermine.

In addition to striking military targets, Israel may continue the tactics it has used against the Iranian-backed extremist organizations Hezbollah and Hamas. So Israel could carry out precision strikes to kill members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard or other individuals important to Iran, such as people in charge of the nuclear program. The spiritual leader and supreme authority of Iran, the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was transported, according to the news agency Reuters, to a refuge in Iran after Israel killed the leader of Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah in the attack on Beirut.

Tehran International Airport is within the city. The field is also used by the Iranian Air Force. Picture: Google Earth

Iran’s oil refineries are important strategic targets

In addition to military targets and nuclear power, Israel could strike important economic and energy targets for Iran, such as oil refineries or ports. However, this option could be the most useless in terms of military objectives and hit civilians the most, says the British Broadcasting Corporation BBC.

However, if Israel decided to strike the energy infrastructure, it could target one of Iran’s largest oil refineries, located in Isfahan, Abadan and Bandar Abbas. The port city of Bušehri has important destinations for the navy, trade and energy infrastructure.

In addition to the port and dock area, Bušehri has an airport. Picture: Google Earth