Israel has warned Iran that it will respond with “great force” if Tehran launches an attack against the country, as tensions continue to escalate across the Middle East.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz issued the warning on Wednesday after Iranian forces launched attacks against US military positions across the region.
Katz said Israeli forces were prepared for a possible Iranian attack during the Jewish high holiday season, which begins in mid-September.
“For now, they are striking throughout the region except us,” Katz said at a conference hosted by Israeli news site Ynet and newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.
“But there is a possibility that they will attack us. We are prepared for that defensively,” he added.
The defence minister warned that any Iranian attack on Israel would trigger a strong military response, saying Israel would act independently if necessary.
“If Iran attacks, Israel would respond with great force, independently of anyone else,” Katz said, adding that “our planes are ready to take off.”
His comments followed a fresh wave of Iranian attacks on US positions across the Middle East on Wednesday.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had targeted US military bases in Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain and Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region.
The attacks represented the heaviest exchange between Iranian and US forces in several weeks amid the ongoing conflict.
Katz said Israel was preparing for the possibility that Iran could attempt to launch an attack during Jewish religious holidays, citing previous incidents involving attacks during Jewish celebrations.
“They like to attack on Jewish holidays because they hate Jews. Look at the many things that have happened in the past,” he said.
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He added that Israel was preparing both defensively and offensively while coordinating with the United States.
“But we are prepared both defensively and offensively, in coordination with the United States in this regard,” Katz said.
Israel launched military operations against Iran alongside the United States in late February, but has remained militarily on the sidelines since US President Donald Trump brokered a fragile ceasefire in April.
The conflict has nevertheless continued to generate tensions, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy route connecting the Persian Gulf to the wider international oil market.
The ceasefire between the United States and Iran later collapsed after Iran attacked commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, which Tehran regards as a key source of leverage in its confrontation with Washington.
Iranian leaders have long maintained an adversarial position towards Israel and support armed groups including Hamas, while Iran’s constitution formally recognises the country’s Jewish community.
The latest escalation has raised concerns over a wider regional confrontation, particularly if Iranian attacks on US interests are followed by direct action against Israel.
Katz’s warning underscores Israel’s readiness to respond militarily should Iran expand its attacks to Israeli territory, despite the broader ceasefire arrangements that had previously reduced direct Israeli involvement in the conflict.