Israel has raised its military alert level amid mounting assessments that US President Donald Trump is nearing a decision to resume large-scale strikes on Iran, according to Israeli officials cited by The Jerusalem Post — even as Turkey signaled it is still working the diplomatic track with Tehran.
Israel Braces, But Says it Hasn't Been Asked to Join
Two Israeli sources told the *Post* that Israel has raised the alert and readiness amid assessments that Trump is close to deciding to resume military strikes against Iran, potentially on an even larger scale. Officials said "we are on high alert and awaiting the president's final decision."
Israel's working assumption is that any major US strike on Iran, even one without direct Israeli participation, would likely draw Israel into the conflict. Still, an Israeli official told CBS that "Israel is not aware of a decision to fully resume military activity, and has not been asked to join any military action against Iran."
The US Embassy in Israel updated its travel advisory, recommending American citizens consider leaving due to rising tensions or be prepared to depart if an escalation occurs, with embassies in Jordan, Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq issuing similar warnings.
US Military Says it's Stretched Thin
Adding to the strain, The Washington Post reported that US European Command chief Gen. Alexus Grynkewich privately warned the Pentagon this week that he lacks sufficient naval forces to keep defending Israel against Iranian ballistic missiles. Grynkewich reportedly told senior officials that without an additional Navy destroyer, he would have to prioritize defending the US homeland over protecting Israel from missile attacks. The Navy is under heavy strain after the blockade imposed on Iranian ports in response to Tehran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which has disrupted Middle Eastern oil flows and shaken the global economy.
Tehran-Aligned Voices Threaten Gulf and Israeli Infrastructure
Mohammad Marandi, a figure close to the Iranian regime and former senior adviser to Ali Khamenei, warned Saturday that Gulf states and Israel could face devastating attacks if Iran's civilian infrastructure is struck. He wrote that "if attacks are carried out against Iran's civilian infrastructure, the critical infrastructure of these partner regimes, alongside that of the Zionist regime and perhaps Jordan as well, will be destroyed," adding that people in the region "must immediately prepare to evacuate."
Separately, Ali Abdollahi, commander of the Iranian military's Khatam al-Anbiya headquarters, accused Washington of working to fan the flames of regional war and of using Gulf states' "capital, infrastructure, and strategic resources" as a shield for US forces, warning that "any country that turns itself into a shield for the criminal and aggressive United States will burn in the fire of war."
Background: An Eleven-day Bombardment
Per Jerusalem Post live coverage, Israel and the US launched Operations Roaring Lion and Epic Fury on February 28 with the stated aim of creating conditions for regime change; Khamenei was killed in an Israeli strike on a Tehran bunker, along with Iran's defense minister and several IRGC generals in the largest-ever IAF aerial attack. Thirty-nine IDF soldiers and 23 civilians have been killed, with at least 7,693 more injured in ballistic missile attacks since February 28; 18 US soldiers have also been killed. A ceasefire was announced April 7 and took effect April 8 — the fragile calm now under renewed threat.
Additional JPost live-blog items from August 1 noted Israel and the US are reportedly weighing a wave of strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure, that Iran is preparing a "comprehensive plan" in response to possible strikes, and that officials are even considering a land blockade against Iran involving cooperation with neighbors including Iraq, Turkey, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.
Haaretz reporting from the same period has tracked Trump's posture swinging between escalation and restraint, describing Israeli officials as increasingly convinced that an expanded US campaign against Iranian infrastructure and regime officials would draw Tehran into direct retaliation against Israel, with Netanyahu holding extended security consultations as the decision point approaches.
Ankara Signals Continued Diplomatic Engagement
Against this backdrop of escalation, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held a phone call with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, according to CNN Türk. Fidan announced via social media that the two discussed the latest developments in the negotiation process. He said "Turkey will continue to make efforts to end conflicts in our region and establish lasting peace."
The call underscores Ankara's continued attempt to position itself as a mediating channel between Tehran and the West even as Washington and Tel Aviv appear to be moving toward renewed military action — a dynamic likely to keep Turkish diplomacy in focus if strikes resume in the coming days.