Israel is on high alert for the possibility of any U.S. intervention in Iran as authorities there confront the biggest anti-government protests in years, according to three Israeli sources with knowledge of the matter.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene in recent days and warned Iran’s rulers against using force against demonstrators. On Saturday, Trump said the US stands “ready to help”.
The death toll in the protests has exceeded 100, activists have said.
The sources, who were present for Israeli security consultations over the weekend, did not elaborate on what Israel’s high-alert footing meant in practice. Israel and Iran fought a 12-day war in June, in which the US joined Israel in launching airstrikes.
In a phone call on Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed the possibility of US intervention in Iran, according to an Israeli source who was present for the conversation. A US official confirmed the two men spoke but did not say what topics they discussed.
Israel has not signalled a desire to intervene in Iran as protests grip the country, with tensions between the two arch-foes high over Israeli concerns about Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.
In an interview with the Economist published on Friday, Netanyahu said there would be horrible consequences for Iran if it were to attack Israel. Alluding to the protests, he said: “Everything else, I think we should see what is happening inside Iran."
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Iran was “looking at freedom, perhaps like never before," and added that the US stood ready to help.
Trump has warned Iran against continuing to kill protesters. On Friday, he cautioned Iranian authorities not to open fire, saying the US would respond if they did. His remarks followed growing concern in Washington over Iran’s handling of nationwide protests.
The United States has previously carried out strikes on Iranian territory. In June, US forces dropped at least six bunker-buster bombs on three sites, including the Fordow nuclear enrichment facility. The site is located deep underground, nearly 300 feet beneath a mountain.
These strikes followed Iranian threats to use nuclear capabilities against Israel during their 12-day conflict and were coordinated with Israeli attacks on Iran’s military infrastructure.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, meanwhile, strongly criticised the United States and President Trump. He accused Trump of having “hands stained with the blood of Iranians" and said the US president should focus on problems in his own country. Khamenei also claimed that protesters were acting to please the US.
Iranian authorities have intensified their crackdown on protests across the country.
