"He would have two choices:"
How about admitting the planes were detected and saying we were "taken by surprise" and "not sure what to do"? No one expects us to shoot down Israeli planes on their way to Iran.
The Dems would cry and crow: "Be should have had a plan" (for unauthorized airspace incursions). Remember John Swiftboat Kerry in 2004--every word out of his mouth was "Bush had no plan." The Dems love plans. They just don't like action.