War Cabinet To Meet Today To Discuss Iran Response, No Set Time

The Israeli war cabinet is set to meet for the third consecutive as it seeks consensus on the nature of its response to Iran's missile/drone attack on 13 April. There is no set time for the meeting according to an Israeli official. There remains significant regional and global focus on the actions of the Netanyahu gov't to Saturday's largely-unsuccessful strikes. Iran has claimed that it views the matter as closed, with its strike coming in response to a presumed Israeli strike on a consular annex in Damascus. However, Israel claims that a direct Iranian barrage against its territory marks an escalation that must be answered.

• Israel's allies such as the US and UK continue to trade a fine line, offering support to Israel in the face of Iran's attack but making clear that they will not participate in any form of direct retaliation. Axios reports that instead, the US will look to impose new sanctions on Iran. The Biden administration is urging no military response from Israel but demonstrating its willingness to launch economic retaliation.
• Some form of military retaliation appears likely, with PM Benjamin Netanyahu under intense pressure from ultranationalists in his national unity gov't to strike back against Iran directly. Iran's nuclear sites are deemed to by high-probability targets, resulting in the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) halting inspections at Iranian sites given the possibility of such attacks.