In the wake of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh’s assassination, Israel anticipates a potential Iranian response, as reported by Axios.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, in a Sunday phone call with his American counterpart Lloyd Austin, indicated that Iranian military preparations suggest a looming large-scale attack on Israel. Intelligence sources believe Iran might strike directly within days.
This potential retaliation follows the killing of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in late July, Axios added.
Concurrently, Israeli sources told Walla that intelligence assessments point to Iran’s intention to launch a direct attack, with internal disagreements between the Iranian President and the Revolutionary Guard over the attack’s nature.
The President seeks to avoid severe repercussions, whereas the Revolutionary Guard favours a broad assault.
A source noted to The Jerusalem Post that decision-making in Iran regarding the attack remains fluid and unclear. Meanwhile, Iran’s acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani affirmed on Sunday that any response to Israel would be legitimate and decisive.
In a call with Belgium’s Foreign Minister, Kani stated that Iran would make Israel pay a “heavy price” in line with international law and the UN Charter, emphasizing Iran’s right to self-defense.
Bagheri Kani previously told AFP that Haniyeh’s assassination was a “strategic mistake” by Israel, accusing it of exporting tension and crisis from Gaza to the broader region.
He reiterated Iran’s “inherent right” to legitimate self-defense, warning that the response, while costly, would enhance security and stability, benefiting all regional countries.
Tensions in the Middle East have escalated following the assassinations of Hamas’s Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and Hezbollah military leader Fouad Shukr in Beirut last week.
