Israel on high alert as US weighs possible strike on Iran: Media

By Abdel Ra'ouf Arnaout

JERUSALEM (AA) - The Israeli army has increased its level of preparedness amid growing reports that the United States could launch a military strike on Iran in the coming days, Israel’s public broadcaster KAN reported Thursday.

In recent hours, several US media outlets have reported that American forces are prepared to carry out a potential attack on Iran by the end of the week, although President Donald Trump has yet to make a final decision.

Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee said the army is “prepared and alert” in light of the possibility of a US strike on Iran in the near future, according to KAN.

“If we are attacked, we will respond forcefully,” he said.

The broadcaster reported that alert levels have also been raised along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon in case of potential escalation involving Hezbollah in the event of a strike on Iran.

It added that emergency services have been instructed to prepare for the possibility of multi-front escalation.

Unnamed Israeli officials were quoted as saying that a heightened state of alert prevails across Israel as it anticipates the potential fallout from any American military action. They said the United States would not undertake such a move without prior coordination with Israel.

Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon said that while Trump favors a diplomatic solution, “the option of a strike on Iran remains on the table,” calling on the public to be prepared for all scenarios.

Danon declined to say whether Israel would receive advance notice of any US military action, stating only that coordination between the two countries remains at “the highest level.”

The developments come two days after Washington and Tehran held a new round of indirect talks in Geneva under Omani mediation.

Iran said the parties agreed on a set of guiding principles, while the United States said significant details remain unresolved.

*Writing by Tarek Chouiref in Istanbul