Israel says prepared to ‘respond with great force’ if Iran attacks

Jerusalem: Israel's Defence Minister, Israel Katz, declared on Wednesday that his nation stands ready to "respond with great force" if Iran initiates an attack, following a recent series of assaults on US military installations across the region. In a speech to a conference organized by Israeli news outlet Ynet and newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, Katz highlighted that Israeli forces are prepared for a possible Iranian assault during the Jewish high holiday season, which commences in mid-September.

Katz emphasized that while Iran is currently targeting various nations except Israel, there exists a possibility that Iran may launch an attack against Israel. In such an event, Israel would retaliate with great force, unilaterally, Katz stated, adding that the nation's planes are prepared for immediate takeoff. Iran's Revolutionary Guards orchestrated a series of attacks on US bases in Jordan, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region, marking the conflict's most intense six-month exchange.

Israel, which initiated the war with the US in late February, has maintained a neutral stance militarily since President Donald Trump reached a fragile ceasefire in April. Katz attributed Iran's targeting of sites during Jewish holidays to their animosity towards Jews, noting historical instances of such behavior. Despite Iran's virulent anti-Israel stance and support for groups like Hamas, the constitution of the Islamic Republic officially recognizes Israel's Jewish community, estimated to consist of thousands of individuals.

Following Israel's initial military strike that claimed the life of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the ceasefire between the US and Iran unraveled after Iran attacked commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, the key conduit for oil from the Gulf, which Tehran regards as a vital lever in the ongoing conflict.