Amid the suspense over Israel's retaliation to the Iran's ballistic missile attack earlier this week, many are speculating that it will launch a "serious" attack on Iran on October 7, the anniversary of Hamas attack on Israel last year, which killed over 1,200 people and took 251 hostage.
According to expert, Israel could possibly target Iran's nuclear or oil infrastructure, aiming to pose a serious damage to the country's economy.
Earlier on October 1, Iran launched a ballistic missile attack on Israel, further fuelling the middle-east conficts. Around 200 missiles hit various locations across the country. According to the Israeli Defense Force (IDF), the missiles struck Israeli airbases but no crucial infrastructure or aircraft was damaged.
While the suspense continues to revolve around Israel's attack on Iran, the former has vowed that the response will be "substantial and well-calculated to address the severity of the attack".
Iran's Kharg islands on Israel's radar?
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, as reported by The Guardian has predicted that Israel could possibly mount large-scale airstikes on Iran's oil industry or a symbolic attack on a military site related to its nuclear programme.
Emphasising that no independent country would ignore such an attack, the former prime minister mentioned that Israel's response might be similar to recent airstrikes on Houthi-controlled sites in Yemen that targeted oil facilities, power plants, and docks in the Yemeni port of Hodeidah.
According to a report by AP, there is a speculation that Iran's Kharg island, the biggest oil terminal of the country which handles most of its oil exports, could be in Israeli cross hairs.
US President Joe Biden's suggestion to Israel
According to a report by CNN, the Israeli government has given no hints to the US that 'targeting Iran's oil industry is off the table'. Earlier, US President Joe Biden suggested Israel it look for alternatives to targeting the oil or nuclear industry of Iran.
"The Israelis have not yet decided on the specifics of their response. If I were in their position, I would explore alternatives to targeting oil fields," Biden said.
Why Iran's oil industry?
Iran is an energy superpower and its oil industry contributes significantly to its economy. Amid the country's plan to invest a total of $500 billion in the oil sector before 2025, Israel's possible attack on the oil industry could turn the economy upside down.
