Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) adopted “emergency measures” for its facilities in Syria, in anticipation of a possible Israeli retaliation to Saturday night’s Iranian strike, according to the Wall Street Journal, which quotes a Syrian government adviser and activist who was briefed by Syrian elements of the IRGC.
According to the WSJ, some CGRI bases in Syria have been fully evacuated, while others are only evacuated at night, when members fear an Israeli attack is most likely. The sources also told the WSJ that only a few Pasdaran members remain on site to guard the arsenals, while most have been evacuated.
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In the context of an overdue Israeli retaliation, this information suggests that Israel may ultimately choose not to attack Iran directly, but rather to target its interests in Syria more consistently.
However, this possibility remains ruled out by some members of the Biden Administration, who expect Israel to carry out a limited strike inside Iran, according to statements made on Tuesday by a senior US official on condition of anonymity to CBS News.
According to the official, Israel does not share information about its potential targets with the United States.
Washington Out of the Game
Washington therefore has no idea what form a possible Israeli retaliation would take, or when it would occur, the official said. Nor does the White House know whether Israel will give it advance warning.
In parallel, the Israeli army said on Tuesday that it had decided on the form that the Hebrew state’s response would take, but not the timetable, several sources told the Jerusalem Post.
The Israeli army’s chief of staff, General Herzi Halevi, hinted that the army intended to limit the attack in order to avoid a regional war, while indicating that it was “not very imminent” during a visit to an air defense unit.
On the other hand, Iran declared on Wednesday that its army was ready to deal with any attack by Israel, with its air force ready to intervene.
“Any attack by the Zionist regime on our soil will be met with a severe response,” said Iranian President Ebrahim Raissi at an Army Day parade, state media reported.
