Israel on ‘very high alert’ for Iranian attack – report

Israel reportedly raises alert level as US-Iran fighting threatens to draw IDF into campaign.

By World Israel News Staff

Israel has placed its military on heightened alert as the renewed fighting between the United States and Iran raises the possibility that Jerusalem could be drawn back into direct conflict with Tehran.

Israeli officials say the country remains outside the latest round of fighting but is preparing for several scenarios that could lead it to intervene. Jerusalem and Washington are maintaining close and continuous coordination as US strikes on Iran expand and Tehran intensifies its retaliation across the region.

“The Israel Defense Forces are on very high alert for every scenario. There will be no surprises,” Israeli officials said, according to a report by Israel Hayom.

According to Israeli assessments, three developments could prompt the country to enter the campaign: a direct Iranian attack on Israel, intelligence indicating that Tehran is preparing such an attack, or a formal US request for Israeli military participation.

None of those conditions has yet occurred, officials said. Iran has so far concentrated its latest attacks on US forces and American allies elsewhere in the Middle East and does not appear to be deliberately seeking another direct confrontation with Israel.

Defense Minister Israel Katz warned Sunday that Jerusalem would respond decisively if Iran changed course.

“If Iran fires missiles at Israel, we will attack them with full force,” Katz said, adding that the country was preparing for both defensive and offensive action.

The warning came as the United States continued striking Iran for a ninth consecutive day Monday. US Central Command said the latest wave was intended to weaken Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has responded with missile and drone attacks against US positions and infrastructure in Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain and Syria. Tehran said Monday that it had targeted American aircraft at Aqaba Airport in Jordan, as well as military installations in Kuwait and Syria.

Kuwait reported another attack on a desalination plant, while air raid sirens sounded in Bahrain and Kuwaiti forces said they were intercepting Iranian drones.

The expanding conflict has heightened concerns in Israel that an Iranian missile could either deliberately or inadvertently cross into Israeli territory. Israeli officials are also watching for indications that Iran or one of its regional allies is preparing an attack from an area near Israel’s borders.

Jerusalem and Washington have remained in direct contact at senior political and military levels. Although the two governments have not always agreed over the course of the wider regional conflict, Israeli officials said they share most of the same strategic interests regarding Iran.

Washington has not asked Israel to join the renewed offensive, and the Israeli government has not indicated that it intends to enter the fighting independently unless the threat to the country changes.

The US military is nevertheless increasing its presence in Israel as it prepares for a possible expansion of operations against Iran.

An Israeli military official said Washington had “decided to adjust its force posture in the region” by sending additional aerial refueling aircraft. Dozens of US tanker planes are reportedly expected to arrive, reinforcing aircraft already deployed in Israel.

Some of the tankers are being stationed at Israeli Air Force bases to reduce congestion at Ben Gurion International Airport. American military activity earlier in the war sharply restricted the airport’s operations by occupying space and resources normally used by civilian airlines.

Israeli transportation officials are conducting daily assessments with the US military. For now, Transportation Minister Miri Regev has directed that newly arriving refueling aircraft be placed primarily at military installations.

Officials warned, however, that commercial flights could again face widespread cancellations if the US expands its campaign and needs to station additional aircraft at Ben Gurion.

The regional security situation could also affect Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s planned trip to the United States next week. The visit could be canceled if Israeli officials determine that the escalating conflict requires Netanyahu to remain in the country.

Israel’s defense establishment is separately examining the possibility that Iran or an affiliated armed group could use locally launched drones to attack senior officials, military installations or civilian targets.

Authorities are considering suspending civilian drone operations across the country and potentially making unauthorized drone flights a criminal offense. The concern is that hostile operatives could launch small drones from inside Israel or from areas close to its borders, reducing the warning time available to the military.

Iran and its allied groups have increasingly developed drones capable of navigating or transmitting information through fiber-optic cables, making them harder to disrupt through conventional electronic warfare systems.

Israeli security officials believe similar technology could be available to multiple Iranian-backed organizations, including forces operating near the Jordanian border.

The increased Israeli readiness comes as the collapse of a month-old interim ceasefire has pushed the United States and Iran toward a wider confrontation. The current round began after both sides accused the other of violating the agreement governing military activity and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

The waterway has since become a central front in the conflict. Iran has threatened vessels using a US-protected passage near Oman, while Washington has said it will continue attacking Iranian forces involved in attempts to restrict commercial navigation.

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