Israel has launched its largest direct attack to date against Iran, but it is crucial to announce that its forces are only hitting military targets.

The world has been preparing for Israeli retaliation against the Iranian regime since the Iranian military launched more than 180 ballistic missile bombardments of Israel more than three weeks ago in response to Israeli attacks on its proxies in the region.

The Israeli government had promised a “tough” response. There was speculation that this could target Iran’s nuclear sites, energy infrastructure, and even the country’s leadership.

Latest developments in the Middle East: IDF confirms air strikes on Tehran

But if attack If it is confined to purely military targets, then it could provide an opportunity to de-escalate tensions in a tit-for-tat missile war that could – depending on the extent of damage – drag the region into an all-out military conflict.

But if the damage is serious, Iran will likely follow through on its promise to retaliate once again.

If this happens, the size of Iran’s counterattack will be an important indicator.

If Iran had chosen to reduce the number of missiles fired at Israel, this would have signaled a desire to reduce tensions.

If any future attack is greater than that of October 1, hostilities between Iran and Israel will once again escalate towards all-out war.

Either way, Israel will now be prepared for any Iranian response; This is something that could happen much faster than the last and only time these two countries launched direct and mutual military coups.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is on high alert to defend against an expected Israeli attack but will also be planning future actions its forces may take.

Tehran’s air defenses are much weaker than Israel’s. However, large investments were made in the creation of large stockpiles of ballistic and cruise missiles.

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This is not the first time the two countries have engaged in direct military conflict.

In April, Iran fired hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel in retaliation for Israel’s deadly attack on the Iranian consulate building in the Syrian capital Damascus.

Israeli air defenses, supported primarily by the United States but also by Britain and other allies, have successfully intercepted the overwhelming majority of Iranian missiles.

At the time, Israel was urged to “win” rather than further escalate the conflict by launching a major counter-offensive against Iran.

He took the advice and the ensuing reprisal occurred without any public explanation; The army hit a defense facility near Isfahan in central Iran.

This time, Israel deliberately chose to make a statement by clearly announcing that it would respond to Iran’s October 1 barrage.

Both sides are trying to restore deterrence in the region, which has been on the brink of all-out war since Hamas, the Iranian-backed militant group in Gaza, launched its devastating attack on Israel on October 7 last year.

From that moment on, Israel attacks Hamas in Gaza. It is also fighting a war with Hezbollah, the largest Iranian-backed paramilitary force in Lebanon, as well as four other fronts against Iran-backed militants in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and the West Bank.

But confronting Iran is the most important of these and the one with the highest potential to ignite a much broader war.