Israel is preparing for possible military action in response to Iran's recent missile strikes, but the Islamic Republic's nuclear facilities will not be the primary target, at least for now. The New York Times reports, citing senior officials, that the Israeli military may focus on striking Iran's military bases, intelligence facilities, and command centers. Nuclear facilities will remain in the crosshairs in the future if Tehran continues to act aggressively toward Israel.

According to the publication, discussions are intensifying in Washington and Jerusalem about the advisability of a strike on Iran's nuclear facilities. However, American experts doubt the effectiveness of such an attack in the current situation. In their opinion, a strike on Iran's nuclear infrastructure may not stop the program, but rather accelerate its implementation, forcing Tehran to hide its developments in more protected and hard-to-reach places. The Pentagon also suggests that Israel may choose a different time for the attack if it considers this moment unsuitable for long-term weakening of the Iranian threat.

Despite the uncertainty, there are calls in Israel to seize the moment to set back the Iranian nuclear program for a long time. The US traditionally continues to advocate diplomatic measures and sanctions to contain Iran, but in Israel the rhetoric is becoming more bellicose. Thus, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his associates are increasingly discussing possible military scenarios, emphasizing that diplomatic measures may not be enough.

The article pays particular attention to Israel's changing approach to the Iranian problem in recent years. For a long time, the country focused on threats posed by the Shiite group Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, but this has changed since 2021, when Naftali Bennett took over as prime minister. Bennett initiated a series of military exercises aimed at practicing long-range strikes, allowing Israel to prepare for larger-scale operations against Iran's nuclear program.

However, as the New York Times notes, the decision on when and how to strike now rests with Tel Aviv. Despite pressure from the United States, which advocates a diplomatic settlement to the conflict, Israel may consider the current situation to be the best time to carry out a military operation.