Israeli Cabinet ministers have been briefed on an imminent counter-attack against Iran, with the operation expected to occur “very soon,” according to state media cited by IANS. During a Sunday Cabinet meeting, officials were informed that the attack would be both “very soon” and of considerable scale, as reported by Xinhua, citing Israel’s state-owned Kan TV. 

The announcement comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to strongly retaliate after Iran launched 180 ballistic missiles towards Israel on October 1 following the assassination on Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrullah in Beirut.  

The report came on Monday, just hours after U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin revealed the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-ballistic missile system to Israel, along with approximately 100 US soldiers to operate it. 

U.S. President Joe Biden has called on Israel to exercise restraint to prevent a wider conflict in the Middle East, expressing concerns over potential strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities and energy infrastructure.