Israel Braces for Iranian Missiles as US Weighs New Strikes on Iran’s Energy Sites

Israel is preparing for the possibility of renewed Iranian missile attacks even if it does not initially take part in a new American offensive, according to assessments reported over the weekend, as Washington weighs escalating its strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure as soon as this weekend.

Israeli officials reportedly believe that Iran would fire missiles at Israel regardless of whether it joins the next phase of the American campaign, a calculation rooted in Tehran’s stated doctrine of responding to any perceived aggression. Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, has said Iran would respond decisively and proportionally to any aggression from the United States, Israel, or others in the region, describing the country’s defense strategy as an eye for an eye against attacks on its infrastructure.

The United States has signaled it may target Iranian energy sites, a significant expansion of a campaign that has already stretched more than five months. The State Department renewed warnings to American citizens across the Middle East, urging them to exercise heightened vigilance and to prepare for flight cancellations, airspace closures, and travel disruptions. It advised Americans to seriously reconsider travel to the region.

The threat continues to widen. Kuwait reported shooting down Iranian drones targeting vital facilities, and an Iranian official warned that nations cooperating with the United States would, in his words, burn in the fires of war. Iran is also considered the leading suspect in a wave of cyberattacks on American water systems spanning several states.

For Israelis, the prospect of a fresh barrage revives the grim routine of earlier phases of the war, when Iranian missiles and Houthi projectiles sent millions to shelters and struck sites across the country. The nation has remained under a state of emergency since late February.

The domestic mood is tense. In Tel Aviv, anti-government protesters gathered for their weekly rally, and in Jerusalem tensions flared between ultra-Orthodox and secular demonstrators. Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett drew attention with a claim that Qatar poses a greater danger to Israel today than Iran.

As the United States deliberates its next move, Israel watches and prepares, aware that its own skies may soon come under fire again, whatever role it chooses to play in the escalation ahead.