Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz has warned that the country is ready to respond “with great force” if Iran launches an attack, following a series of Iranian strikes against US military positions across the Middle East.
Katz said Israeli forces were prepared for the possibility of an Iranian attack during the upcoming Jewish high holiday period, which begins in mid-September.
“For now, they are striking throughout the region except us,” he said at a conference hosted by Israeli news website Ynet and newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.
“But there is a possibility that they will attack us. We are prepared for that defensively,” he added.
Katz stressed that Israel would act independently if targeted by Iran, saying it would “respond with great force, independently of anyone else”. He also warned that “our planes are ready to take off”.
The comments came after Iran launched a fresh wave of attacks against US positions across the Middle East on Wednesday, following a major American bombardment.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had targeted US bases in Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain and Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region. The strikes represented the most intense exchange between the two sides in several weeks.
Israel, which joined the United States in launching the war in late February, has remained largely on the military sidelines since US President Donald Trump helped broker a fragile ceasefire in April.
Katz also warned that Iran could potentially target Israel during Jewish religious holidays.
“They like to attack on Jewish holidays because they hate Jews. Look at the many things that have happened in the past. But we are prepared both defensively and offensively, in coordination with the United States in this regard,” Katz said.
Iran’s Islamic Republic has a strongly anti-Israel leadership and backs armed groups including Hamas. At the same time, Iran’s constitution formally recognises the country’s Jewish community, which is estimated to number several thousand people.
During the opening stages of the conflict, Israel killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The US-Iran ceasefire later collapsed after Iran launched attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial gateway to the oil-rich Gulf that Tehran views as an important source of leverage.
