Israeli newspaper Maariv has published an assessment claiming that Iran is preparing for a broad and coordinated attack against Tel Aviv across several fronts simultaneously, warning that Tehran is planning a campaign fundamentally different from previous confrontations amid growing Israeli concern.
According to the newspaper, Israeli assessments suggest that a potential Iranian attack could resemble the 7 October assault, while incorporating lessons drawn from the events of 2023.
“Iran is seeking to unite itself, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas, the Houthis in Yemen and armed groups loyal to it in Iraq within a single campaign,” Maariv reported.
The newspaper said that on 7 October, Hamas launched its attack without the other fronts being activated simultaneously under full coordination.
The concept of a broader regional war against Israel had, however, reportedly been discussed beforehand.
Maariv cited internal Hamas documents seized in the Gaza Strip after the attack, which it said indicated that Yahya Sinwar had sought to widen the confrontation by bringing additional fronts into the conflict.
One planning document reportedly stressed the need to connect and prepare the external fronts, including Lebanon, Syria and Sinai, while establishing communication mechanisms in advance for both normal conditions and wartime.
Israeli Assessments Point to a Coordination Gap in 2023
Maariv said that developments after the war indicated that this ambition had not been accompanied by full coordination in preparing the 7 October attack itself.
According to published American and Israeli assessments cited by the newspaper, Iran and Hezbollah were not informed in advance of the full details of the 7 October plan or the exact timing of its execution.
The same assessments claimed that Sinwar expected the success of the initial attack to subsequently draw Hezbollah and Iran into a broader campaign.
Hezbollah opened fire on Israel’s northern front, but it did not launch a large-scale attack that morning simultaneously with the Hamas assault.
Tehran Reportedly Seeking to Close the Gap
Maariv cited reports claiming that Tehran is now seeking to address precisely this weakness.
Under the plan reportedly being studied, several fronts would be activated against Tel Aviv at the same time, with a multi-front campaign incorporated into the operational planning from the outset rather than emerging after the initial attack.
If implemented as described in the Israeli assessment, the approach would mark a shift towards pre-planned coordination between Iran and its regional allies across multiple theatres from the opening stage of any future confrontation.
