In the wake of the assassination of Iranian Commander Reza Zahedi, Israel has canceled home leave for all combat troops and closed several Israeli embassies.
According to Kan News, the IDF expects missile and drone strikes from Iran-backed terror groups in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. They’re also preparing for direct ballistic missile attacks from Iran, which is something Israel has never encountered before.
In addition, hospitals are preparing for mass-casualty scenarios and are holding drills for medical staff in case Iran does retaliate.
An air strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus on Monday killed Zahedi and his deputy. Zahedi was crucial to Iran’s support for Hezbollah, commanding units within the al-Quds force in Lebanon and Syria. On Wednesday, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei blamed the assassination on Israel and promised they would be “slapped” for their actions.
In response to Khamenei’s threat, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a warning of his own.
“For years, Iran has been working against us both directly and through its proxies, and therefore Israel has been working against Iran and its emissaries, both defensively and offensively,” Netanyahu said at a Thursday security cabinet meeting.
“We will know how to protect ourselves, and we will act according to the simple principle that whoever hurts us or plans to harm us, we will harm them.”
Israel has not officially confirmed or denied carrying out the airstrike.
