Israel is on high alert for the possibility of any US intervention in Iran as Iranian authorities face the biggest anti-government protests in years, according to three Israeli sources with knowledge of the matter.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene in recent days and warned Iran’s rulers against using force against protesters. On Saturday (10), Trump stated that the US is “ready to help”.
The sources, who participated in Israeli security consultations over the weekend, did not elaborate on what Israel’s state of high alert means in practice.
Israel and Iran fought a 12-day conflict in June, in which Washington joined Israel in launching airstrikes.
In a telephone conversation on Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed the possibility of American intervention in Iran, according to an Israeli source present in the conversation.
An American official confirmed the conversation between the two, but did not reveal the topics discussed.
Israel has shown no interest in intervening in Iran as protests grip the country, with tension between the two historical rivals heightened due to Israeli concerns over Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
In an interview with The Economist magazine, published on Friday, Netanyahu said there would be dire consequences for Iran if it attacked Israel. Alluding to the protests, he said: “For the rest, I think we should watch what’s happening inside Iran.”
