TEL AVIV, April 13. /TASS/. Israel’s defensive and offensive capabilities have been put on combat alert, while dozens of aircraft are patrolling the country’s airspace, IDF Spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said.
The official told reporters that "this week, situational assessments and approvals of plans were conducted in the IDF in preparation for an attack from Iran."
"The defense and offense systems of the Israeli Air Force are on alert, and dozens of planes are in the skies—prepared and ready. We are conducting a situational assessment with our strategic partners, primarily the US, and maintaining tight coordination with them," Hagari said.
The spokesman said that "since the start of the war [on October 7, 2023], we have dealt with a variety of threats launched here from Iran's proxies in the region — missiles and UAVs."
"We knew how to activate our defense and offense systems accordingly. We have optimized them to be even better. The IDF is fully prepared on all its fronts in defense and offense," he said.
The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported on April 1 that the Israeli Air Force had carried out a strike on a building in the Syrian capital of Damascus. Iranian media outlets said that the country’s consulate had come under attack. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said in a statement that the strike had killed seven military advisors. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed that Tehran would make Israel regret its strike and President Ebrahim Raisi pledged that the attack would not go without response.
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Spokesperson Daniel Hagari said that Israel had hit a military target belonging to the IRGC, but not a diplomatic mission. According to Hagari, the facility was disguised as a civilian building.
On April 12, the The Wall Street Journal reported that Iran’s retaliatory strike may take place within 24-48 hours. In turn, the Axios portal wrote with reference to anonymous sources that Iran’s response will be limited in an attempt to avoid escalation.