U.S. Readies More Strikes on Iran as Israel Reaches Peak Alert

The United States is preparing for additional strikes in Iran, and in Israel it is believed that U.S. President Donald Trump is increasing pressure on Iran with threats of attack in order to bring it to sign an agreement, it was reported this evening (Wednesday) on Kan News. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and officials in the security establishment doubt the possibility of a real agreement being signed with Iran. They prefer a resumption of fighting and would like to receive the green light from Trump for an Israeli strike.

This evening Trump announced that the United States intends to strike Iran again tonight in response to the downing of the American helicopter in the Strait of Hormuz. The refueling aircraft that took part in yesterday's strike took off from Ben Gurion Airport, so Israel remains on peak alert in its defense systems because of Trump's statements. President Trump, photo: The White House

The United States updated Israel shortly before the strike in Iran through the Israeli representatives who have been in the United States in recent months. Although the strike was carried out entirely by American fighter jets and naval vessels, there was concern that the Iranians would launch missiles toward Israel, alongside launches toward other countries in the Middle East where American forces are stationed.

Meanwhile, those currently finding themselves in the line of fire between Trump and the Revolutionary Guards regime are the Gulf states and additional Arab countries. After the Iranian attacks in Kuwait and Bahrain, Jordan was also hit tonight by an Iranian strike. A source close to the leadership in the United Arab Emirates told Kan News that in the country they are "disturbed that Iran continues to attack its neighbors" and that this raises "question marks" about the day after the war. A Jordanian source added that both Jordan and the Gulf states drew a clear line in the talks they held, saying that "any agreement must provide a guarantee for the security of the region's countries."

At the same time, the IDF and the Air Force are preparing for the possibility of further escalation following the American strikes in Iran. A senior officer told Channel 13 News that Israel is at a "critical crossroads. Today we continued striking in southern Lebanon and no missiles were launched from Iran. Either Trump will say we are going all the way, or there will be an agreement." Air Force aircraft, photo: IDF Spokesperson

According to the same officer, "not a single American plane or pilot left Israel," and he added that the Americans conveyed a message saying they had "not yet finished the job." At the same time, the Air Force shortened its response times for a strike in Iran in the event of a hit on Israel.

In addition, according to a report on Channel 12 News, last night's American strike came against the backdrop of growing frustration from President Trump, who has been waiting for two weeks for an official Iranian response to his latest proposal, a response that did not come. While the immediate pretext for the military move was the downing of the helicopter in the Strait of Hormuz, behind the scenes the targeted operation was intended to restore significant U.S. leverage in the negotiations, without completely closing the diplomatic channel. In Washington, they stressed that the operation was aimed only at military infrastructure while deliberately avoiding harm to human life, and a senior American official clarified: "If the pilots had been killed, we would have been in a completely different place." Illustration photo: Shutterstock

A few hours before the operation, the White House once again tried to obtain clear answers from Tehran and also sent a warning that time was running out, but encountered refusal and Iranian threats of retaliation. In the end, the Iranians responded in a measured way and did not go too far.

Despite the tension and the new threats Trump voiced from the Oval Office, senior American officials say the agreement is still on the table and that they hope the strikes will push Tehran to move forward, but they warn: "The president is ready to make the Iranians pay a price if they continue to stall and drag their feet."