Iran has informed Arab diplomats that it is planning a complex response with more advanced weaponry against Israel, reports The Wall Street Journal. In defiance of US warnings against retaliatory strikes on Israel after its attacks on Iran last week, Iran is signaling plans for a complex response with more advanced weaponry, Iranian and Arab officials with knowledge of the strategy told The Wall Street Journal on Sunday.

Iran has informed Arab diplomats that its conventional military will be involved in the response because four soldiers and a civilian were lost in Israel’s attack, according to Iranian and Arab officials.

While this does not necessarily mean direct troop deployment, the regular army’s involvement suggests the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) may not act alone.

An Egyptian official reported that Iran privately warned of a “strong and complex” response.

“Our military lost people, so they need to respond,” said an Iranian official quoted by The Wall Street Journal. He suggested that Iran might use Iraqi territory in its response and is likely to target Israeli military facilities “but much more aggressively than last time.”

Iran does not intend to limit its response to missiles and drones, as in previous confrontations. Any missiles used in this operation would be equipped with more powerful warheads, said Iranian and Arab officials. In its most recent attack on Israel on October 1, Iran primarily used Emad and Ghadr missiles, alongside its more advanced Kheibar Shekan and Fattah missiles.

The US election is another factor in Iran’s calculations, an Iranian official said. Iran aims to avoid influencing the election directly and is planning its response for after Tuesday’s voting but before a new president is inaugurated in January.

Officials from Egypt, Bahrain, and Oman indicated that Iranian diplomats outlined their plans following US warnings, both public and private, to avoid escalation.

Last week it was reported that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has instructed the Supreme National Security Council to prepare for an attack on Israel.

According to the report in The New York Times, Khamenei decided to attack after he reviewed a detailed report from senior military commanders on the extent of damage to Iran’s missile production capabilities and air defense systems around Tehran, critical energy infrastructure, and a main port in the south.

An Israeli military source later told CNN that Israel is at a “high level of readiness” for a response from Iran.

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke on Thursday with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and “reaffirmed that the United States remains fully prepared to defend US personnel, Israel, and partners across the region against threats from Iran and Iran-backed proxy groups,” said the Pentagon.

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