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3. IDF: Israel Ready on All Fronts if U.S. Strike on Iran Triggers Retaliation

IDF Northern Command chief Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo said Sunday that the military is preparing for the possibility that a U.S. strike on Iran could trigger Iranian retaliation against Israel.

“We don’t know where this is heading,” Milo said in remarks broadcast by Channel 12 News. “We see the force buildup the Americans are carrying out, both in the Persian Gulf and throughout the Middle East.” Milo said the military is on heightened alert for any escalation, should the U.S. decide to attack Iran.

He added that Israel is also closely watching whether Hezbollah could join a wider confrontation, saying, “We are very alert, very prepared, and ready both in strong defense and in preparing offensive responses.”

Defense coordination with the U.S.

U.S. CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper and IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir met on Saturday, holding their second meeting in a short period in the shadow of a possible Iran conflict.

Reports from Israeli media and regional outlets indicate that Tel Aviv and Washington are discussing defense coordination should U.S. military action against Iran materialize. These discussions reportedly include planning for scenarios where Iranian retaliation affects Israeli territory.

Lt Gen. Eyal Zamir, in separate comments, has emphasized the military’s readiness for multi-front threats and the ability to shift rapidly among defensive and offensive postures as operational needs evolve.

Rising regional tension

Shortly after President Trump began moving warships to the region, Iranian authorities unveiled a new billboard in a central Tehran Square on Sunday, seemingly aimed at warning the U.S. against intervention.

The billboard in Enghelab (Revolution) Square depicts an aircraft carrier with damaged and exploding fighter jets on its deck. Bodies and bloods of pool also cover the deck, with trails of blood, which show resemblence to the stripes of the American flag, streaming behind the fleet. The graphic is accompanied by a slogan which reads: "If you sow the wind, you will reap the whirlwind.”

U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned Iran that he could order military strikes, citing two red lines: the killing of peaceful demonstrators and the mass execution of protesters. U.S. forces, including the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and accompanying warships, have been moved toward the region in a show of force as part of deterrence and planning.

A senior Iranian official said Friday that Iran will treat any attack “as an all-out war against us.”