- Israel had planned a larger counterattack against Iran, but scaled it back under pressure from its allies.
- President Joe Biden persuaded Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a phone call, according to the New York Times.
- The counterattack was a response to Iran’s launch of more than 300 missiles and drones on Israel.
Israel had planned a much larger counterattack against Iran, but abandoned it after intense pressure from its allies, including the United States, according to senior Israeli officials who spoke to the New York Times.
Three officials, speaking anonymously because of the sensitivity of the discussions, told the Times that Israeli leaders had considered striking several military targets across Iran, including some near the capital, Tehran.
The counterattack was in retaliation for Iran’s launch of more than 300 missiles and drones on Israel in an unprecedented attack that the Israel Defense Forces said was 99% intercepted before hitting its targets .
The barrage follows an April 1 attack, attributed to Israel, on an Iranian diplomatic facility in Damascus, Syria, that resulted in the deaths of several Iranian military officials.
According to the Times, Israel ultimately opted on Friday for a more limited strike, which avoided causing significant damage, after President Joe Biden and the British and German foreign ministers urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to demonstrate restraint.
According to three Israeli and Western officials who spoke to The Times, in an early morning phone call, Biden encouraged Netanyahu to view the successful defense against the Iranian attack as a victory that required no further escalation.
Citing Israeli sources, the newspaper reported that Netanyahu left the conversation opposing immediate and forceful retaliation.
Instead of sending fighter jets into Iranian airspace, Israel carried out a strike on a military base near the Iranian city of Isfahan on Friday.
The officials said Israel’s restrained response further underscored the sophistication of Israel’s military capability, demonstrating its ability to strike Iran without entering its airspace and penetrate its air defense systems, the Times reported .
Israel also hoped to demonstrate its ability to target areas of Iran that host nuclear facilities, such as the Natanz uranium enrichment site, according to the newspaper.
So far, the limited response appears to have prevented a major escalation in the region.
Contacted by Business Insider, the Israeli army declined to comment.
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