Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Sunday morning that Israel “has completed preparations to respond to any scenario that may unfold with Iran” as Tehran threatens retribution for an attack on an Iranian consular building in Damascus it attributes to the Jewish state.
In an attempt to allay the public’s panic, Gallant said over the weekend that "preparation, readiness and alertness are not synonymous with panic and fear. The enemy has been severely damaged everywhere and is therefore looking for ways to respond, we are ready with multi-layered defense."
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Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (right) during situation assessment with IDF high command
(Photo: Defense Ministry)
The situation assessment comes after reports last weekend that the U.S. had obtained intelligence indicating Iran's retaliatory attack for the elimination of senior figures in Damascus would involve the deployment of Shahed suicide drones, along with cruise missiles, as reported by CBS.
According to U.S. sources, the timing and targets of the attack remain unknown. However, they noted that a "proportional" response to the Damascus strike would be an attack on an Israeli diplomatic facility.
A senior Biden administration official told CNN Saturday night that the U.S. is on high alert and preparing for a "significant" attack from Iran in the coming week.
The source added that senior U.S. officials believe an Iranian attack is "imminent," echoing the views of their Israeli counterparts. Both the U.S. and Israel assess that the Iranian strike may target U.S., in addition to Israeli, interests.
Simultaneously, two senior Iranian officials told The New York Times that Iran has placed its military on high alert and decided to respond directly to the assassination this time, "to create deterrence."
An Israeli security official told the newspaper that Israeli analysts have reached the same conclusion that Iran will carry out the revenge attack itself, rather than through one of its proxies, such as Hezbollah.
In an effort to prevent an Iranian attack on U.S. facilities, Biden administration officials said last week that the U.S. had not received prior notice of the Israeli strike in Damascus, which also killed the commander of the Quds Force in Syria and Lebanon, Hassan Mahdawi. According to information in Israel's possession, the U.S. sent direct messages to Iran to clarify that it was not involved in the attack in any way.
The concern over Iranian retaliation was also discussed in a call between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Joe Biden last Thursday. According to White National Security Council Spokesman John Kirby, "The President was clear, very clear, that Israel can rely on the United States to assist in defending against the threats posed by Iran."