BICOM

Israel has warned that Iran is planning an attack in retaliation for reported Israeli bombing of Iranian bases in Syria last month.

Israeli Channel 10 reported on Sunday evening that the military has “recently identified with certainty Iranian preparations to fire at the north. We are not on the eve of war with Iran … but Iran is very determined to carry out an attack”. According to the report, Israel has gone public in order to deter the Iranians from attacking.

The Israeli Air Force (IAF) is preparing for a possible Iranian retaliatory strike using precision-targeted missiles at northern bases, according to an IDF media briefing on Sunday. The army fear the attack will include ground-troops, possibly from Shiite militias in Syria that have been integrated into Hezbollah’s ranks and operate under Iranian command.

Last night Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “Whoever harms us, we will harm him. Let enemies that threaten us with destruction know that they will encounter an iron wall. They will not overcome us and they are placing themselves in great danger.”

Netanyahu is scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Russia on Wednesday where he will brief Putin with details of Iranian plans, with the goal of preventing them from being carried out.

Israeli Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot said that “our enemies’ efforts to build up their strength and Iran’s attempts to expand its foothold near our borders require us to have initiative, determination and to strengthen our readiness for any scenario”.

Local authorities in the north of Israel sought to calm residents on Monday saying that no special safety instructions have been issued. Kiryat Shmona Municipal CEO Eshkol Shukrun said the army “has asked us to send a message of calm,” adding that the “municipal officials are in direct contact with the army.”

Iran says it will decide when and how to respond to the strike on the T-4 Syrian Air Force base on 10 February, in which seven members of the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps were killed, as well as for the strike attributed to Israel on 30 April in Homs, which reportedly targeted precision long-range missiles from Iran.