JERUSALEM — September 2, 2026: Israel has warned Iran that any attack against its territory would trigger a powerful military response, as renewed U.S.-Iran hostilities raise fears of a broader regional escalation.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Wednesday that Israel was preparing for the possibility of an Iranian attack during the upcoming Jewish high-holiday period, while stressing that Israeli forces were ready to respond if Tehran opened a direct front against Israel.
“If they attack us, we will respond with great force, independently of anyone else,” Katz said, according to reports of his remarks.
Israel preparing for possible Iranian attack
Katz said Iran has so far focused its attacks on U.S. positions across the region rather than directly targeting Israel. However, he warned that Jerusalem was not ruling out an Iranian attack during the Jewish holidays.
Israeli forces, he said, were prepared both defensively and offensively, with Israeli aircraft ready to respond if necessary.
The warning comes as Washington and Tehran have returned to direct military confrontation following a period of relative calm. Iran has launched missiles and drones toward U.S. positions in several countries, while the United States has carried out fresh strikes against Iranian military infrastructure.
Hormuz remains at the center of the confrontation
Katz indicated that Israel is currently allowing the United States to take the lead in military operations because Washington's immediate strategic priorities include the Strait of Hormuz and regional energy security.
The waterway has become the central flashpoint in the latest phase of the conflict. U.S. forces have targeted Iranian air-defense systems, radar installations, communications facilities and capabilities associated with laying mines in and around the strait. Iran, meanwhile, has sought to use the waterway as leverage against Washington.
The confrontation is also having major economic consequences. Reuters reported that a U.S. naval blockade has sharply reduced Iran's crude exports, putting additional pressure on Tehran's finances.
Israel says Iran's nuclear program remains a red line
Katz also reiterated Israel's position that Iran must not be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon.
He pointed to the damage inflicted on Iran's nuclear and military infrastructure during Operation Rising Lion, Israel's 2025 campaign against Iranian nuclear and missile-related facilities. The Israeli military says the operation significantly degraded Iran's nuclear and missile capabilities.
Israel has continued to monitor what it describes as Iranian efforts to rebuild damaged infrastructure. The Israeli government maintains that preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon remains a fundamental security objective.
A fragile agreement under pressure
The latest escalation also threatens a U.S.-Iran memorandum reached in June that was intended to halt military operations and create a framework for negotiations.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said this week that Tehran remained prepared to reciprocate if Washington fulfilled its commitments under the agreement. The arrangement, however, has deteriorated amid disputes over the Strait of Hormuz, sanctions and military activity.
With U.S. strikes continuing, Iran retaliating across the region and Israel warning that it could enter the confrontation directly, the possibility of a wider regional conflict remains a major concern.
For Israel, Katz's latest warning makes clear that Jerusalem does not intend to remain passive if Iranian attacks are directed at its territory.
