Israel on ‘high alert’ for any scenario with Iran amid Washington-Tehran tension: Energy minister

Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen said Thursday that Israel was on “high alert for any scenario,” warning of a forceful response if Iran launches an attack, Anadolu reports.

In an interview with local radio station 103FM, Cohen said Israel had been closely monitoring developments across the region over the past three weeks, stressing that it was on “high alert for any scenario.”

“Only one country is destabilizing the Middle East. If Iran makes a mistake, we will respond forcefully,” he said.

Cohen said Israel seeks to ensure that Iran does not acquire nuclear weapons, arguing that “regime change” in Tehran was necessary to achieve long-term regional stability.

He also criticized the agreement signed between the US and Iran, saying Israel had previously told Washington there was “no point” in reaching an agreement with Tehran.

Cohen’s remarks came after Israel’s public broadcaster KAN reported Wednesday evening that Israel had raised its alert level over the possibility of a direct confrontation with Iran as the US intensified its attacks on the country.

Israeli assessments suggest recent developments have increased the likelihood of Israel joining the current round of escalation, the broadcaster said.

READ: Israel threatens retaliation if Iran attacks

KAN said Washington had informed Israel that it intended to intensify its attacks on Iran in the coming days, including using heavy bombers for the first time during the current escalation.

US President Donald Trump’s threat to target an Iranian national infrastructure facility for every response from Tehran could increase both the possibility of Israeli involvement and the likelihood that Iran would launch missiles toward Israel, it added.

The broadcaster said security coordination between Washington and Tel Aviv was aimed at allowing Israel to prepare for a possible Iranian escalation involving missile launches toward its territory.

Such a move could lead to the resumption of Israeli attacks inside Iran, it said.

KAN added that the two sides were discussing a possible meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump next week, though no final date had been set.

Regional tensions have escalated since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive against Iran in late February. Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Gulf nations hosting US assets.

The US and Iran signed a Pakistani-mediated memorandum of understanding last month to end their conflict and reach a lasting peace agreement, but tensions escalated again last week over the Strait of Hormuz, with the two sides exchanging attacks.

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