Retaliate now, later or never: What Iran's next move could be

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Iran has responded furiously to the overnight US airstrikes on three of its nuclear sites, vowing what it calls "everlasting consequences".

But beyond the words, there will be feverish discussions taking place at the highest level inside Iran's security and intelligence establishment.

Should they escalate the conflict through retaliation against US interests, or, as US President Donald Trump has called on them to do, negotiate, which in practice means giving up all nuclear enrichment inside Iran?

This internal debate will be taking place at a time when many senior Iranian commanders will be looking over their shoulders, wondering if they are about to be the next target of an Israeli precision airstrike or whether someone in the room has already betrayed them to Mossad, Israel's overseas spy agency.

Broadly speaking, there are three different strategic courses of action now open to Iran. None of them are risk free, and uppermost in the minds of those taking the decisions will be the survival of the Islamic Republic regime.

Retaliate hard and soon

Many will be baying for blood. Iran has been humiliated, first by Israel, now by what it has often in the past called 'the Great Satan', its term for the US.

Iran's ongoing exchange of fire with Israel continues into its tenth day but retaliating against the US brings a whole new level of risk, not just for Iran but for the whole region.