When launching a retaliatory strike against Iran, Israel will target military facilities of the Islamic Republic, not nuclear or oil facilities. This was announced to US President Joe Biden by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, The Washington Post wrote on the night of Tuesday, October 15. Apparently, this refers to a telephone conversation that took place between the two leaders on October 9.

The "more restrained position" that Netanyahu has now taken influenced the US president's decision to send a powerful THAAD missile defense system to his Middle Eastern ally, The Washington Post reported. The Pentagon announced on October 13 that a THAAD battery would be deployed in Israel.

A source in Washington told WP that an Israeli strike on Iran should take place before the US presidential elections, which are scheduled for November 5. If Israel does not respond to the massive shelling of its territory, Tehran may interpret this as a sign of weakness, the newspaper writes. In addition, during consultations with the United States, Israel announced that it would cease operations in Lebanon "in the coming weeks," the publication reported.