Israel is preparing for the possibility of Iranian retaliation if US President Donald Trump decides to proceed with a military strike against Tehran.
Speaking to Al-Monitor, former head of Israel’s Military Intelligence Directorate Amos Yadlin said a US attack would be unlikely to go unanswered by Iran, and that Israel is aware it could become a target.
Coordination with Washington
Yadlin said that while Israel still has a list of targets in Iran following last year’s 12-day conflict, it will not act impulsively. He said Israel would weigh the overall costs and benefits of any further escalation, taking into account the scale of a potential US strike and its possible impact on the stability of the Iranian regime.
He stressed that full coordination with Washington would be essential, both in terms of defence and in preparations for the possible neutralisation of Iranian missile systems.
According to Israeli assessments, President Trump may opt for a limited military operation, without a clear objective of regime change. However, reports and images emerging from Iran of violent crackdowns on protests, with thousands reportedly killed, have increased pressure on the US President to respond.
Regime change 'necessary' for Israel
Israeli analysts note that statements by Trump indicating a preference to avoid military action do not constitute a guarantee that a strike will not take place.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly expressed support for the Iranian people and has said he would like to see the current regime weakened or even overthrown.
Yadlin, however, adopted a more cautious tone, emphasising that even without regime change, preventing Iran from restarting its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes remains a critical objective for Israel’s security and for regional stability.