JERUSALEM, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli military has been on high alert over the past days, Israel's Ma'ariv news site reported Thursday, citing a senior security official.
The official said that the air force prepared for a range of defensive and offensive scenarios amid heightened tensions with Iran.
"If the Iranians draw us into an incident, they will discover they have made a serious mistake. We are strongly prepared, both defensively and offensively," the official said, adding that Israel does not seek to confrontat with Iran directly, but the air force is well-prepared for potential Iranian threats.
The military's plan is based on the assumption that the United States would allow Israel to operate if it were attacked by Iran, the report said.
The military is also preparing for the possible involvement of Iranian-backed groups, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen, the official said, adding that the military is "strongly prepared here as well, both for defense and for attack." ■
