The Hebrew-language newspaper Maariv has revealed that secret high-level discussions have recently taken place in Israel to prepare for the possibility of a direct confrontation with the Islamic Republic of Iran — whether by an Israeli strike on Tehran or a retaliatory Iranian assault.
According to the report, Israeli ministries held a closed-door and classified meeting to assess national readiness in the event of a full-scale conflict with Iran. The meeting, which barred mobile phones, included evaluations suggesting that such a confrontation could erupt “without significant warning.”
Those involved reportedly stated that if Israel were to launch an attack on Iran, the resulting military confrontation could drag on for an unpredictable duration.
One of the most alarming assessments was the potential for thousands of heavy Iranian missiles, each weighing nearly 700 kilograms, to rain down on Israeli territory. The analysts warned that such an attack could paralyse the Israeli economy completely in the first few days — with estimated disruption lasting between two to four days before transitioning into emergency-mode operations.
The secret discussions also covered logistical and civilian emergency responses, including:
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- The immediate opening of over 10,000 public bomb shelters
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- The reinforcement of infrastructure
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- Prepping evacuation zones
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- Expanding hospital capacity
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- Readiness drills led by Israel’s Home Front Command
This revelation comes as the United States seeks a diplomatic resolution with Iran over its nuclear program — one that explicitly avoids military confrontation. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to push for a military option, openly diverging from the American approach.
On Wednesday, former U.S. President Donald Trump revealed that he had warned Netanyahu against any “provocative countermeasures” that might derail the ongoing nuclear negotiations with Iran, implicitly discouraging any unilateral escalation by Tel Aviv.
Trump reiterated that talks with Iran were progressing positively, and he remained optimistic that a breakthrough agreement could be reached within the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, the Sultanate of Oman continues to act as a neutral mediator, facilitating indirect negotiations between Tehran and Washington in hopes of bridging deep-rooted disagreements over Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
So far, five rounds of negotiations have taken place — three of them in the Omani capital, Muscat. Iran’s key demand remains: the lifting of crippling sanctions in exchange for curbing select nuclear activities, without compromising its sovereign right to peaceful nuclear energy.
