Israel’s defense establishment is preparing for the possibility of an Iranian missile attack as the United States continues expanding its military campaign against Iran, even as Israeli officials currently assess that Tehran is trying to avoid drawing Israel directly into the conflict.

The heightened tensions follow a week of sustained U.S. strikes targeting Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps assets and other military infrastructure across Iran. The escalation intensified further after the U.S. military announced that two American servicemembers were killed and another remains missing following an Iranian attack in Jordan.

Despite the growing conflict, Israeli officials believe Iran is currently refraining from attacking Israel directly, fearing such a move would bring the IDF into the war and dramatically expand the conflict. According to Israeli officials, whether Israel enters the fighting depends largely on decisions made in Tehran.

According to the reports, the United States has made clear to Israel that it prefers the IDF remain out of the fighting for now. Israel reportedly offered to participate in the strikes, but Washington declined the offer. Nevertheless, Israeli security officials are preparing for a rapid escalation and say contingency plans are in place should Iran attack Israel or should the United States approve Israeli military action.

Israeli officials say the IDF has compiled a broad target bank inside Iran, including bridges, railways, energy facilities, and other strategic infrastructure. If Israel joins the campaign, officials say it would seek to inflict significant damage on key regime infrastructure to accelerate pressure on Tehran and reduce its ability to project power throughout the region.

A senior Israeli official warned that if Iran attacks Israel, the response would be far more severe than during previous exchanges.

“If they make that mistake, they will pay a very heavy price,” the official said. “We will not stop as we did the last time.”

Israeli defense officials are also preparing for attacks by Iran’s regional proxies, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, Iranian-backed militias in Iraq, and possible terrorist attacks against Israeli targets overseas.

Meanwhile, Iran has intensified its threats against Gulf Arab states. A senior IRGC commander warned regional leaders to “take Iran’s latest warning seriously.” According to the report, since the fighting resumed Iran has attacked targets in Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman. Kuwait reported strikes Friday targeting a power and desalination facility as well as infrastructure belonging to the country’s national oil company.

The deteriorating security situation also prompted the U.S. State Department to issue a worldwide security alert for American citizens, warning of heightened risks stemming from tensions in the Middle East and threats from Iranian-backed groups. The advisory also cautioned that flight disruptions, airspace closures, and threats to U.S. diplomatic facilities are possible.

At the same time, the United States is sending additional aerial refueling aircraft to Israel. The Israeli military confirmed the aircraft will be based at Israeli Air Force installations rather than Ben Gurion Airport for operational and security reasons, minimizing disruption to civilian aviation.

Israeli defense officials are also evaluating tighter restrictions on civilian drone operations during the current crisis to make it easier to distinguish legitimate aerial threats from privately operated drones.

Iran, meanwhile, continues to accuse the United States of violating previous understandings and of deliberately escalating the conflict. Israeli and U.S. officials acknowledge that although Tehran has so far avoided launching missiles directly at Israel, the situation could change rapidly.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)