Notably, any decision to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities would have to be preceded by (among other things) an attempt to neutralize Iran’s mine-laying capability — along with its many anti-ship missile batteries — in the Persian Gulf. The sequence is fixed, since the moment the nuclear sites are bombed, it would have to be assumed that the minelayers would go to work, and they would work as quickly as they could. Were anything else attacked first, taking out the Iranian mine capability would be difficult, as Iran’s naval assets would scatter and lay mines wherever and however they could — including by swarms of speedboats capable of carrying a mine or two apiece and almost impossible to engage with airpower. This, incidentally, is a leading reason why Israel cannot unilaterally attack Iran’s nuclear facilities. They would be held responsible for a potentially disastrous oil shortage. Only the Americans have the resources to even consider dealing with the potential Iranian response, because only the Americans have the possibility of keeping Persian Gulf shipping open once the shooting starts. It also indicates that an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities would be much more complex than a sudden strike completed in one day.
Huh? Israel cannot attack Iran's nuclear facilities because of Iran's probable response?
It is true that only America can attack Iran with enough power and persistence to muffle Iran's potential response.
But this does not mean that Israel won't attack because they can't match our capabilities to do the job far more thoroughly. Israel can take a shot at Iran's nuclear facilities even though they can't take a shot at Iran's other military assets.
And if Israel believes it has a choice between risking a nuclear-armed Iran that will nuke Israel or stopping or delaying that day at the price of Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz to oil exports (and their own gasoline imports), I think Israel will take the shot.
I mean, what are we and the West Europeans going to do, refuse to defend the free passage of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz because Iran is angry at Israel?
