Israeli Politician Warns of Possible Surprise Iranian Strike on Israel

Right-wing opposition leader Avigdor Lieberman, head of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, warned on Friday of the possibility that Iran may carry out a sudden attack against Israel, as tensions between the two countries continue in the wake of their recent clashes.

In a post on X, Lieberman wrote that anyone who believes “the episode with Iran is over” is mistaken and misled. He said the Iranians are working diligently to strengthen their defences and military capabilities every day, and he suggested work at nuclear sites has resumed. Lieberman added that the re-imposition of sanctions by leading states is not a trivial matter.

“It seems the Iranians may try to surprise us this time,” he wrote. Addressing Israeli citizens directly, he urged them to enjoy the coming Sukkot holiday — which begins on Monday and lasts a week — but to remain cautious and stay close to protected areas.

Lieberman also criticised the Israeli government’s performance, saying: “We cannot trust this government until it fixes what it has ruined. We can only rely on the Israel Defence Forces and on ourselves.”

The report did not clarify whether Lieberman’s warning — the former defence minister — was based on specific intelligence or was a personal assessment.

Context from Recent Exchanges

On 13 June, Israel launched a surprise operation against Iran that lasted 12 days, during which both sides exchanged strikes that caused hundreds of casualties on each side. Washington later announced a ceasefire on 24 June. (As reported in the Arabic original.)

In recent weeks Israeli officials have issued increasingly hardline statements. On 15 September, Amir Baram, Director-General of the Israeli Ministry of Defence, reportedly said there would be “further rounds” against Iran. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on the eve of the Hebrew New Year (22 September) to confront what he described as the “axis of evil” led by Iran. (These items are recorded in the Arabic source.)