Professor Abrahms told Northeastern Global News: “Iran has essentially declared war against Israel, and Israel is going to respond in a substantial way.

“It’s possible Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will respond by targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities.”

Professor Abrahms adds that Saturday’s attack was significant because Iran used its own military capabilities rather than relying on its proxies across the region.

He continued: “Israel and Iran have been waging a low-grade war against each other in the shadows.

“Iran has historically used its proxy groups to attack Israel from Yemen, Lebanon and even Palestinian territories with groups like Hamas, which are supported by Iran.”

Professor Abrahms adds the attack could have “international implications for the US” as well as regional impact in countries like Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

He said: “There are simultaneous attacks by Iran’s proxies from Yemen, from Lebanon. So yeah, this is a very serious situation. We’re in uncharted waters here.”

US President Joe Biden has warned Iran that the US has an “ironclad” commitment to defending Israel.

He said: “We also want to address the Iranian threat to launch a significant – they’re threatening to launch a significant attack in Israel.

“As I told Prime Minister Netanyahu, our commitment to Israel’s security against these threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad. Let me say it again, ironclad. We’re gonna do all we can to protect Israel’s security.”

A White House spokesperson also said: “We’ve been clear that we do not want this conflict to escalate or spread further in the region. We’ll continue to undertake diplomatic efforts to ensure that remains the case. We also retain a military presence in the region to deter those who seek to take advantage of the conflict.”