Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his immediate war cabinet are considering what action to take following Iran's attack on Saturday.
Allies including the United States have urged Israel not to risk sparking a wider regional conflict, and President Joe Biden has made clear that US forces will not join a retaliatory strike on Iran.
Here are some of the options Israel may be considering:
Air raids
Israel could respond to the Iranian barrage with airstrikes of its own, especially as Iranian air defenses are considered far less well developed than the multi-layered system that Israel and its allies deployed on Saturday evening.
An Israeli Air Force officer told reporters at a briefing that the air force was ready to defend Israel, adding: “Part of the defense is to respond and attack if necessary.”
“And that will be put to our government and cabinet and for them to decide how, when and if,” the officer said.
Such an attack could hit strategic facilities, including Revolutionary Guard bases or nuclear research facilities.
Former intelligence officials say civilian infrastructure such as power plants are less likely to be affected and civilian casualties should be avoided. This is said to have been done to prevent further loss of international support, but also because of the assessment that the Iranian authorities are vulnerable to popular pressure due to political repression and the poor economic situation. It is believed that significant civilian casualties are likely to rally Iranian public support behind the government.
Israel could also hit proxy groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon or Iranian targets in countries such as Syria and Iraq. However, the fact that Iran has attacked Israel directly for the first time suggests that such an action would be only part of a broader response that would also target Iran itself.
Cyber attack
Israel is believed to have carried out numerous cyberattacks in Iran over the years, targeting infrastructure ranging from gas stations to industrial installations and nuclear facilities, and a repeat is considered one of the likely options for retaliation.
Such attacks can affect highly visible areas such as energy production or flight services. As with direct airstrikes, former intelligence officials say they believe Israel would avoid attacks on infrastructure such as hospitals to reduce the impact on the general population.
Covert operations
Israel is believed to have previously conducted a number of covert operations in Iran, including the assassination of several of its leading nuclear scientists.
Such operations could be carried out both inside and outside Iran.
Diplomacy
In addition to military and intelligence strikes against Iran, Israel is stepping up diplomatic efforts to isolate Tehran, including by expanding sanctions. Foreign Minister Israel Katz has also renewed pressure on European countries to join the United States in declaring Iran's Revolutionary Guards a terrorist organization.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Our staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)