Israel Warns of ‘Great Force’ Response if Iran Launches Attack
JERUSALEM — WEB DESK: Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Wednesday that Israel was prepared to respond with “great force” if Iran attacks the country, as renewed fighting between Tehran and Washington raises concerns that the latest escalation could widen further across the Middle East.
Katz said Israeli forces were preparing for the possibility of an Iranian attack during the Jewish high holiday season beginning in mid-September, although he did not say Israel had received confirmation that Tehran had decided to launch such an operation.
“For now, they are striking throughout the region except us,” Katz told a conference organised by Israeli news website Ynet and newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth. He said there remained a possibility that Iran could attack Israel and that the country was prepared defensively.
Katz added that if an Iranian attack occurred, Israel would respond “with great force, independently of anyone else,” and said Israeli aircraft were ready.
Warning Is Conditional, Not an Announcement of Israeli Strikes
Katz’s remarks amount to a conditional warning rather than an announcement that Israel has decided to launch a new attack on Iran.
No fresh Israeli strike on Iran was announced alongside his comments, nor did Katz publicly present evidence that Tehran had made a final decision to attack Israel.
The distinction is important because the original warning comes amid rapidly escalating regional hostilities, where statements about military readiness can easily be interpreted as confirmation of imminent action.
The immediate escalation has instead centred on the United States and Iran.
The US military said it completed its latest wave of strikes against Iranian Revolutionary Guard targets, including air-defence systems, radar installations, maritime assets, mine-laying capabilities and communications facilities. Iran responded with attacks against US-linked targets and positions across the region.
Iran Retaliates Across Region
Iranian forces launched missile and drone attacks affecting several countries after the renewed American bombardment.
Associated Press reported Iranian attacks involving Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain and Iraq, with several projectiles intercepted or causing limited reported damage.
Israel has so far remained outside this latest direct round of US-Iran exchanges, a point Katz himself highlighted in Wednesday’s remarks.
His warning indicates that Israeli forces are nevertheless preparing for the possibility that Tehran could expand its retaliation.
Israel and Iran have already fought directly during the wider 2026 conflict. Israel and the United States launched major strikes against Iran in late February, during which Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed, a development confirmed at the time by Iranian state media.
Subsequent months saw further direct and indirect exchanges before periods of reduced fighting and diplomatic efforts aimed at limiting the conflict.
Israel Says It Can Act Independently
Katz stressed that Israel would not depend on another country before responding if directly attacked.
His statement that Israel would act “independently of anyone else” underscores Israel’s declared policy of retaining freedom to conduct military operations against threats it considers immediate.
At the same time, Katz said Israel was coordinating with the United States on defensive and offensive preparedness.
That should not be interpreted as confirmation that Washington has approved a new Israeli attack on Iran. No such decision was announced in the remarks reviewed.
Holiday Period Raises Israeli Security Concerns
Katz specifically referred to the Jewish high holiday period beginning later this month.
He alleged that Iran might seek to exploit Jewish religious holidays for an attack and said Israel was preparing both defensively and offensively.
His characterization of Iranian intentions is an Israeli government assessment, not independently established evidence of Tehran’s operational plans.
Israeli authorities have heightened military readiness during periods of regional escalation before, particularly when intelligence assessments indicate increased missile or drone threats.
Risk of Wider Escalation Remains
The warning comes as the latest US-Iran confrontation again threatens to broaden a conflict that has already affected multiple countries.
The US military said its latest strikes were directed against IRGC infrastructure following what Washington described as attempted Iranian attacks against commercial shipping and American personnel. Iran has retaliated against US interests and regional locations hosting American forces.
Those exchanges have also renewed concerns about shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and global energy supplies.
For Israel, the immediate question is whether Iran keeps its latest retaliation focused on American and US-linked targets or again directly targets Israeli territory.
Katz’s comments indicate that Israel is preparing for the second possibility, but they do not establish that an Iranian attack on Israel is imminent or that Israel has ordered a new strike against Iran.
The situation therefore remains a developing military confrontation in which both the scope of Iran’s retaliation and Israel’s potential involvement could determine whether the latest US-Iran exchange develops into a broader regional escalation.
