Israel’s security cabinet has ordered the military to accelerate preparations for potential strikes against Iran, according to reports from Israeli media on Wednesday evening.
The directive follows a period of heightened tensions and conflicting signals regarding the future of the regional conflict.
The cabinet’s decision, chaired by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has drawn immediate scrutiny from within Israel’s political leadership. “The directives issued by the security cabinet to the Israeli military could lead it to carry out activities that could trigger a war,” public broadcaster KAN reported, noting the sensitivity of the timing as the country navigates a transition in government.
Opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot, who was tasked by President Isaac Herzog to form a new government following October elections, publicly urged Netanyahu to refrain from deploying the military. Eisenkot said that the caretaker prime minister should not initiate action “without a direct and immediate threat” until a new administration is established.
Did You Know? The ongoing friction between Netanyahu and military leadership includes past disagreements; according to The Times of Israel, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir previously blocked attempts to orchestrate strikes on Iran in the weeks leading up to the October 27 election.
Tehran has responded to the prospect of renewed military action with warnings of regional retaliation. Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, stated in a social media post that if the U.S. launches another war, “every military base involved in the aggression, from West Asia to Europe, will be a legitimate target for Iran’s lethal strikes.”
Iranian officials have described the current state of affairs as “no war, no peace.” Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf told Al Jazeera that the Strait of Hormuz will “never return” to its status prior to the conflict and that Iran is seeking “sustainable deterrence” if diplomatic negotiations fail.
“No safe distance. No safe haven. No immunity,” Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, added.
While the U.S. prefers a diplomatic agreement over military confrontation, Israeli security assessments suggest that the Iranian leadership views this approach as a sign of weakness, creating a volatile environment where miscalculation remains a primary risk.
While the U.S. maintains a blockade on Iran, diplomatic efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz remain stalled. Tehran recently rejected a U.S. proposal to transfer its stockpile of 60 percent enriched uranium to a third country, a move that prompted a rise in global oil prices.
Eisenkot, who is currently attempting to form a new government, argues that Netanyahu is acting in a caretaker capacity and should not deploy the military without a direct, immediate threat.
U.S. forces continue to operate around the clock to enforce a naval blockade against Iran and ensure the Strait of Hormuz remains open for commercial shipping, according to the U.S. Central Command.
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