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While all options are on the table, Israeli officials indicated that its first targets would be Iran's oil facilities, air defense systems, and targeted assassinations. Iran's nuclear program will reportedly remain safe unless Iran attacks again.
Neutering Iran's nuclear program ought to come immediately after the mullahs' air defense systems. Consultations with the leaky Biden White House ought to be kept curt and free of details.
Absolutely. After-the-fact only
To give you an idea of how vulnerable Iran's oil exports are, 95% of them get loaded onto tankers at one location.
Brent crude prices jumped 5% after Tuesday's missile attack.
Just as bad, Iran has just 10 refineries for domestic production of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), gasoline, kerosene, fuel oil, and lubricants. Oddly enough, Iran is a net importer of gasoline and needs hard currency to buy enough. Without those distillates, a modern economy grinds to a halt.
The point is that if Israel wants to shut down Iran's foreign moneymaker, it can do so with relative ease. If it wants to go further and shut down Iran's domestic economy, it can do that, too, with a bit more effort.
China, despite buying 91% (!!!) of Iran's oil exports, remains officially mum. That's up from just 26% in 2017, so if you were wondering what keeps the mullahs' regime awash in cash, it's Communist China. If an Israeli strike on Kharg sends Beijing scrambling to replace its Iranian imports, prices will spike worldwide.
Whatever backchannel talks might be going on between Beijing and Jerusalem haven't leaked because neither Xi Jinping nor Bibi Netanyahu is Joe Biden or Kamala Harris.
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