Israel was on a high state of alert for an Iranian attack late Thursday night as international leaders worked to avert an all-out war between the two arch-foes.
“We’re on a high state of alert and preparedness,” IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari told reporters on Thursday night, adding that the Jewish state faced danger on all fronts.
Still, as of Thursday night, there had been no special instructions given out by the Home Front Command, but that Israelis would be immediately notified of any steps that would need to be taken.
“A direct attack from Iranian soil would provide clear proof of its intention to inflame the Middle East and stop hiding behind its proxies,” he said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Israel’s enemies, including Iran, that it would not hesitate to strike if provoked, as the international community sent out warning signals of a pending Iranian attack against the Jewish state.
“Whoever harms us, we will harm them,” Netanyahu said during a visit to the Tel Nof Air Base to speak with the 133rd Squadron, which operates F-15 fighter jets.
“We are prepared to meet all of the security needs of the State of Israel, both defensively and offensively,” he stated.
Israel entering ‘challenging time’
Netanyahu added that Israel faced “challenging times” including a war against Hamas in Gaza and efforts to negotiate a deal for the return of the remaining 133 hostages held there.
Iran has vowed revenge for the April 1 airstrike on its embassy compound in Damascus that killed a top Iranian general and six other Iranian military officers, escalating tensions in a region already shaken by the Gaza war.
Israel has not claimed responsibility for the April 1 attack, for which Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday Israel “must be punished and it shall be,” adding that it was tantamount to an attack on Iranian soil.
Iran has signaled to Washington that it will respond to Israel’s attack on its Syrian embassy in a way that aims to avoid major escalation and it will not act hastily, as Tehran presses demands including a Gaza truce, Iranian sources said.
Iran’s message to Washington was conveyed by Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian during a visit on Sunday to the Gulf Arab state of Oman, which has often acted as an intermediary between Tehran and Washington, the sources said.
Iran’s foreign ministry was not immediately available to comment. The Omani government did not immediately respond to emailed questions for comment, sent during the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday.
A White House spokesperson declined to comment on any messages from Iran but said the United States has communicated to Iran that it was not involved in the strike on the embassy.
White House Press Secretary Karin Jean Pierre said that the US had also warned Iran not to attack Israel.
A source familiar with U.S. intelligence was not aware of the message conveyed via Oman but said Iran has “been very clear” that its response to the attack on its Damascus embassy compound would be “controlled” and “non-escalatory” and planned “to use regional proxies to launch several attacks on Israel.”
The head of US Central Command (CENTCOM) General Michael Erik Kurilla visited Israel to discuss the Iranian threats.
US President Joe Biden publicly reminded Iran during remarks at the White House on Wednesday that America’s commitment to Israel’s security was “ironclad.”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant overnight, in which he stressed that the “US will stand with Israel against any threats by Iran and its proxies,” according to the State Department.
The US also worked behind the scenes to tone down rising tensions between the arch enemies, which follows Israel’s military engagements over the last half-year with two Iranian proxy groups, Hamas in Gaza on its southern border and Hezbollah in Lebanon on its northern border.
Tehran has avoided confrontation with Israel or the United States, while declaring support for its allies, including the Houthis which have attacked cargo ships in the Red Sea to protest Israel’s military operation to destroy Hamas.
U.S. Middle East envoy Brett McGurk called the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, and Iraq to ask them to deliver a message to Iran that Tehran should de-escalate with Israel, which they did, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Iran’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Iraq spoke on the phone with Iran’s foreign minister and discussed regional tensions.
The White House declined to comment. McGurk’s calls were first reported by Axios.
In Paris, Knesset Speaker MK Amir Ohana [Likud] spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron about the global nature of Israel’s battle with Iran and the imminent threat facing the Jewish state.
“We are approaching the moment of truth vis-à-vis Iran,” Ohana told Macron. “The regime of the Ayatollahs – which even at this time is threatening to attack Israel – is not only its enemy of Israel but the enemy of the free world,” he stated.
According to Ohana’s office, Macron said he had warned Iran not to attack Israel.
Germany’s foreign minister Annalena Baerbock discussed the tense situation in the Middle East with her Iranian counterpart and urged all sides to act responsibly and exercise restraint, the foreign ministry in Berlin said on Thursday.
“No one can have an interest in a wider regional escalation,” the ministry posted on social media platform X.
Russia which has good ties with Iran, urged countries in the Middle East to show restraint and warned against traveling to a region.
“Right now it’s very important for everyone to maintain restraint so as not to lead to a complete destabilization of the situation in the region, which doesn’t exactly shine with stability and predictability,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told at a news briefing.
“We call on all countries in the region to exercise restraint,” he stated.
The tensions also impacted regional travel. Russia’s foreign ministry told citizens they should not travel to the Middle East, especially to Israel, Lebanon, and the Palestinian territories.
Lufthansa said on Wednesday it had stopped flights to Tehran and on Thursday extended the suspension until probably April 13.
Lufthansa and its subsidiary Austrian Airlines are the only two Western carriers flying into Tehran, which is mostly served by Turkish and Middle Eastern airlines.
Austrian Airlines, which is owned by Lufthansa and flies from Vienna to Tehran six times a week, said it was still planning to fly on Thursday but was adjusting timings to avoid crew having to disembark for an overnight layover.