Israel Warns It Will Respond ‘With Great Force’ If Iran Attacks

Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz says Israeli aircraft are ready to take off if Iran attacks, warning that Israel will respond “with great force” and act independently of other countries.

Katz said Israeli forces were prepared for a possible Iranian strike during the Jewish high holiday season, which begins in mid-September. Iran had so far targeted US positions across the region rather than Israel, he said, but an attack remained possible.

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With great force, independently of anyone else.

“For now, they are striking throughout the region except us,” Katz told a conference hosted by Ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth. “But there is a possibility that they will attack us. We are prepared for that defensively.”

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Our planes are ready to take off.

Foreign Minister Gideon Saar echoed the warning in an interview with France 24, saying Israel would respond heavily if attacked. He added that Israel did not currently have plans to join the war.

Iran launched overnight retaliatory attacks on US sites across the Middle East after extensive American bombardment. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had attacked US bases in Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain and Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region. The exchange was described as the heaviest in weeks during the six-month conflict.

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If we will be attacked by Iran, we will surely respond heavily, but I’m not sure that Iran will do that mistake.

Katz said Iran often attacked during Jewish holidays because of what he described as hostility toward Jews. He said Israel was prepared both defensively and offensively, in coordination with the United States. The report also said Israel had killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in the opening phase of the war.

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We don’t have the plans to join the war right now.