How will Iran respond to the Israeli airstrikes?

President Donald Trump was off the mark when he was asked about the likelihood of an Israeli military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities on Thursday afternoon. “I don’t want to say imminent, but it looks like it’s something that could very well happen,” he said. Hours later, the Israelis conducted a major bombing campaign against dozens of Iranian targets purportedly linked to its nuclear, missile and military programs. Dubbed “Operation Rising Lion,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed the operation was geared to hit the heart of Tehran’s nuclear capability in order to protect Israel’s survival.

Iran has a number of ways to retaliate

“This operation will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat,” the Israeli premier said, adding that Natanz, Tehran’s largest uranium enrichment complex, was targeted as well. Several senior Iranian officials, including General Hossein Salami, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, were reportedly eliminated, although given the fast-moving developments and multiple claims, it’s hard to determine anything with full accuracy.