Israel retaliates against Iran: Former military advisor weighs in
AUSTIN, Texas - Israel launched what experts are calling a "limited" strike early Friday morning against Iran, following Iran’s drone and missile strike on Israel last weekend.
FOX 7 spoke Friday night with Aaron Pluto, an Austin-based international security and policy expert who has previously served as a military advisor, to get his take on Israel’s response to Iran.
"Israel's response, I think, shows that Iran is definitely on the target list for Israel. They've shown that they're willing to strike back at Iran to defend its interests and deter further aggression," said Pluto.
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We asked Pluto what impact, if any, Israel’s latest action could have on how the war in Gaza is playing out.
"I think it's an extension of the war in Gaza. I think Israel views Iran and the proxies that Iran uses as sort of an octopus, the tentacles being Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, and Hamas. But Iran is really the head of the octopus. And so they’re striking back where they need to strike," said Pluto.
Pluto says he agrees with other experts that despite Israel and Iran’s strikes on each other, both nations would prefer not to escalate broader tensions in the Middle East.