According to Foreign Policy magazine, America and Israel are considering a joint surgical strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities. A source “close to the discussions” says the strike could possibly consist of drones and bombers.

The attack is expected to last less than a few days or possibly just “a couple of hours”, it was reported in the magazine.

The possibility of such a surgical strike is being called an “October surprise” by some media analysts.

Such a strike could be carried out sans civilian casualties, it was reported and it would set back the Iranian nuclear program back some years. An exact estimate of how long was not given. It was also stressed that there would be regional benefits from such a strike.

The source says that the IAF-led assault would be “transformative” and would end up “saving Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, reanimating the peace process, securing the (Persian) Gulf, sending an unequivocal message to Russia and China, and assuring American ascendancy in the region for a decade to come.”

It should be stressed, however, that the strike would need the support of outside countries, “whether acting alone or in concert with Israel and others.”

According to the sketching, the U.S. would be expected to provide the assistance.

The report concluded that “with the progress made between Israel and the U.S. administration recently, a strike could help President Barack Obama defuse his opponent’s Mitt Romney’s criticisms about Iran.”