Israel is closely collaborating with the United States as it prepares for a potential strike on Iran, but it will ultimately make independent decisions regarding its response, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant shared with CNN on Sunday.

Despite Washington’s opposition to an assault on Iran’s nuclear sites, Gallant made it clear that Israel is keeping all options open. “Everything is on the table,” Gallant said. He is scheduled to meet with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Wednesday to discuss the threats posed by Iran and its affiliated groups.

“Israel has capabilities to hit targets near and far — we have proved it. We will respond to the Iranian attack appropriately. We will not stand by and neither should the international community,” Gallant told CNN.

The Defense Minister emphasized Israel’s achievements against Hezbollah, noting that the country has “dismantled a major part of their capabilities” and highlighting that Hezbollah now faces significant challenges, including “a lack of command and control.”

He elaborated that the ground operations remain focused on Hezbollah positions near the border, though the scope has broadened in recent days. Gallant suggested that the damage inflicted on Hezbollah has “created a crack that now opens the door to change not just in Lebanon, but in the entire Middle East.”

Last Wednesday, US President Joe Biden made it clear that he does not support an Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities. “The answer is no,” Biden said when asked if Israel should conduct a retaliatory strike on Iranian nuclear infrastructure.

On Friday, Biden mentioned that he would consider “alternatives” to targeting Iran’s oil fields, acknowledging the devastating impact such a move would have on the Iranian economy, if he were in Israel’s position. “If I were in their shoes, I’d be thinking about other alternatives than striking oilfields,” Biden said.

Former US President Donald Trump voiced a different opinion, advocating for an Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear sites and criticizing Biden’s stance against such actions. Addressing voters in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Trump commented, “I listened to Biden yesterday… they asked him, what do you think about Iran, would you hit Iran, and he goes ‘as long as they don’t hit the nuclear stuff.’ That’s the thing you want to hit, right?”

“I think he’s got that one wrong, isn’t that the one you’re supposed to hit,” Trump added. “It’s the biggest risk we have, nuclear weapons.”

{Matzav.com}