Israel has raised its military alert level in recent days, fearing an escalation with Iran or Hezbollah in Lebanon, less than two weeks before the parliamentary elections scheduled for October 27. The Israeli Broadcasting Authority stated on Thursday that the army raised the alert level amid concerns of a potential escalation on multiple fronts, despite the absence of specific intelligence indicating Iran or Hezbollah's intention to launch an attack on Israel.
Warnings of multi-front escalation
The Authority added that the army is closely monitoring developments, describing the current phase as "sensitive," especially in light of Iran's tests of ballistic missiles and drones over the past week. An Israeli security official, who spoke anonymously, was quoted as saying, "We are working to ensure we are not caught off guard." He noted that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will hold a small security meeting on Thursday evening with senior officials in the security establishment to discuss developments.
American and Israeli offensive scenarios
The Authority quoted a knowledgeable source as saying the meeting was routine and scheduled amid current security tensions. According to the Authority, Israeli assessments suggest that the threats issued by Netanyahu, the Defense Minister, and the Chief of Staff in recent days could lead to miscalculation by the other side. Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir warned on Wednesday of increasing escalation probabilities, stating, "Given the multiple alerts on all fronts and the sensitivity of the phase, the likelihood of escalation has risen."
Phone call with Washington
In a related development, the Authority reported that the American network CNN revealed on Thursday that the US military is preparing new plans to attack Iran, including the potential use of the "Mother of All Bombs," the most powerful non-nuclear bomb in the US arsenal, against Iranian energy facilities and nuclear sites, if President Donald Trump orders a resumption of combat. Channel 12 also reported on Thursday evening that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had a phone call with Netanyahu, without disclosing the content or the files discussed.
Source: Anadolu Agency
Comments (0)