The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that the security establishment has raised its level of alert in recent days amid the possibility that US President Donald Trump may have decided to launch an attack on Iran, potentially within the coming days.
The newspaper quoted security sources as saying that despite the absence of any public indicators pointing to a decision from Washington, the security establishment is treating the possibility of an imminent attack with seriousness. Preparations are underway on the home front and within the armed forces to confront any potential scenarios.
According to the report, the Israeli military maintains that uncertainty surrounding a possible attack remains high. The army is aware that Trump’s decision-making patterns are unpredictable, and that even if he opts for an attack, he could reverse course at the last moment.
Senior officials within the defence establishment confirmed that coordination with their American counterparts remains close. They added that a scenario in which air force units carry out strikes on Iran in response to missile launches toward Israel is not being ruled out, according to the newspaper.
Haaretz also noted a growing belief within the defence establishment that if a US attack on Iran takes place, Tehran would assess whether and how to respond, including the possibility of drawing Israel into the confrontation by launching missiles toward it.
Nevertheless, senior Israeli military officials stress that there is no guarantee Iran would choose Israel as the initial target of retaliation. In their assessment, the likelihood of Iran escalating and directly involving Israel would only increase if the US attack were prolonged or if the Iranian leadership felt its stability was genuinely threatened, according to the newspaper.
The Israeli military and emergency services are preparing for the possibility of missile fire targeting Israel. Since the beginning of the war, air defence systems have been operating at maximum capacity, with the highest alert levels raised in recent days. This comes amid potential threats from Yemen and Lebanon. At the same time, the defence establishment is making efforts to avoid unnecessarily alarming the public or issuing definitive statements, the report said.
The Israeli military is also preparing for the possibility that Iran could exert pressure on Israel through the Lebanese front via Hezbollah. However, intelligence assessments indicate that Hezbollah has refrained from launching military operations against Israel, and no preparations suggesting an intention to enter a large scale confrontation have been detected so far.
The newspaper added that the defence establishment considers it likely that the Houthis in Yemen, who are backed by Iran, would join any conflict should it erupt.
According to these assessments, the longer a US attack continues and the higher the cost imposed on Iran, the greater the likelihood that the Yemeni Houthis would escalate their involvement and resume missile launches toward Israel or target maritime routes in the region.
