Foreign Minister Israel Katz on Wednesday warned that Israel will strike inside Iran for every attack against Israel originating from Iranian territory, as tensions between the two archfoes near a boiling point.
Katz made the comment in response to threats against Israel by Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei posted to his X account Wednesday, writing in Persian, "Should Iran attack from its territory, Israel will respond and attack inside Iran."
Iran has vowed to retaliate for the attack on its consulate building in Damascus that killed several senior Revolutionary Guard officers. Tehran blames Israel for the attack. Jerusalem has not commented on the matter. Israeli officials relayed to their American counterparts that an Iranian attack launched from its territory would require Israel's direct response.
Earlier Wednesday, Khamenei again vowed vengeance for the attack on the consulate building. "Israel attacked the Iranian consulate in Damascus. Consulates are part of the countries to which they're affiliated, and thus the attack was launched against our own country. Israel will pay for the mistake it made," he said in an Eid al-Fitr address on Iranian state media.
Meanwhile, some Iranians question the mullah regime's resolve to retaliate for the assassination, with graffiti sprayed in Theran reading, "Israel will attack. They don't have the guts to take revenge."
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant conducted an operational assessment at the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv earlier this week. Following the meeting, Gallant said that the defense establishment had completed preparations to respond to any scenario that might unfold with Iran, amid Israel's heightened readiness to retaliate for the assassination of the senior Iranian official in Damascus.
Meanwhile, a senior advisor to Khamenei warned that "Israeli embassies are no longer safe" following U.S. assessments last week suggesting a "proportional Iranian response" to the attack in Damascus would target an Israeli diplomatic representation.
Over the past weekend, Gallant attempted to calm the Israeli public's panic, saying, "Preparedness, readiness, and alertness are not synonymous with panic and fear."
During a visit to the Tel Nof Air Force base, the defense minister added, "The enemy has been severely damaged everywhere and is therefore looking for ways to respond. We are prepared with multi-layered defense."
CBS reported that Iran's retaliatory strike would include a "swarm" of Shahed kamikaze drones and cruise missiles. According to U.S. sources, the timing and targets of the attack are still unknown.
According to CNN, the U.S. is on high alert and actively preparing for a "significant" attack that could come as soon as within the next week by Iran targeting Israeli or U.S. assets in the region, according to a senior administration offical. Senior American and Israeli officials currently believe that an attack by Iran is "inevitable."