Israeli media reported that Israel is considering executing a "preventive" preemptive strike against Iran if it obtains conclusive evidence that Iran is planning to attack. This follows a meeting held by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with the heads of Israel's security agencies on Sunday evening. The meeting included Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces Herzi Halevi, Mossad Director David Barnea, and head of the internal security agency (Shabak) Ronen Bar, amid preparations for expected attacks on Israel from Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah.
The assessment that Iran is likely to attack Israel in the coming days or weeks follows the assassination of Hezbollah leader Fouad Shukr in Beirut and Hamas's political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last week. According to estimates, Israel is discussing a wide range of options regarding the best ways to respond to or prevent the anticipated attack.
During the meeting with Netanyahu, the option of striking Iran as a deterrent measure was discussed, according to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, although security officials emphasized that such a move would only be approved if Israel received specific intelligence indicating that Tehran is about to launch an attack. The report stated that Israel would require its intelligence on this matter to align with U.S. intelligence, and even if they matched, Israel may choose to avoid a preemptive strike.
Israeli Channel 13 noted that "assessments in Israel indicate that Iran is not coordinating its response with Hezbollah." The American news site Axios reported that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken informed his counterparts from the G7 countries that Iran and Hezbollah might initiate attacks on Israel on Monday, citing three sources familiar with the communication. The site indicated that Blinken stated it was unclear how Iran or Hezbollah would attack Israel and that he did not know the precise timing, but hinted that attacks could begin within the next 24 to 48 hours, potentially as early as Monday.
