Amid Israeli Preparedness.. Tel Aviv and Washington Discussed 'Defense Coordination' in Case of US Attack on Iran

SadaNews - Washington and Tel Aviv are discussing 'defense coordination' between the two countries in the event the United States launches an attack on Iran. This comes as estimates in Israel rise that an upcoming war between Israel and Iran, in the context of a US attack on Tehran, would be different, more complex, and last longer than the previous war last June, which lasted 12 days, and would be significantly more costly to the Israeli treasury.

According to what was reported by the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation ('Kan 11') on Sunday, the commander of the US Central Command, Brad Cooper, spoke with the Israeli Chief of Staff, Eyal Zamir, "about defense coordination between the two countries in the event of a US attack on Iran, which could result in ballistic missiles being launched towards Israeli territories," citing an Israeli source described by the channel's report as well-informed.

While the report indicated the continuation of "alertness and preparedness regarding Iran" in Israel, it quoted the Israeli source, stating that "it is still unclear what decision US President Donald Trump will make regarding the attack, which is still a possibility."

It is expected that the US military will mobilize more forces in the Middle East in the coming days; the cabinet meeting held on Sunday evening likely addressed the "Iranian file, not just the Gaza Strip."

According to 'Kan 11', the Israeli Chief of Staff stated in closed discussions that "no date has been set for a US attack on Iran, and the entire matter is in the mind of the President (Trump). For us, everything is on the table."

This comes as tensions in the region escalate with ongoing protests in Iran. The New York Times reported that Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, instructed the Supreme National Security Council on January 9 to suppress the protests in Iran "by any means necessary."

Widespread Israeli Preparedness

In a related context, the commander of the Israeli Northern Command, Rafi Milo, addressed the "broad state of preparedness in Israel" due to tensions with Iran, during a conversation he had on Saturday, as reported by Israeli Channel 12.

Milo stated: "We do not know where things will lead, we see the size of the US forces in the Gulf, and we are preparing for the possibility that the United States may decide to launch an attack."

Milo referred to what the report described as the complex map of interests in the Middle East, raising the issue of Turkey and Qatar, describing it as a huge problem.”

Milo had the conversation with members of the Farmers’ Association, during which he indicated that if the United States decides to attack Iran, "that could significantly affect Israel, and would be part of the Iranian response, here as well."

Milo also addressed whether Hezbollah would participate in the escalation, questioning: "If something like this (an Iranian attack) happens, will Hezbollah join or not? That is why we are in a state of maximum readiness, on alert, and fully prepared defensively and offensively. At least for now, this is the most important thing we are preparing for."

Syria, Qatar, and Turkey

Regarding the situation concerning Syria, Milo mentioned that while the Israeli army’s freedom of action in Lebanese territory is absolute, the situation in Syria is more complex and challenging, stating: "Initially, we thought we could quickly reach a security agreement with this regime, but today we realize that it requires extreme caution."

Milo said: "We are well aware of the nature of the regime in Syria. We have only seen one example in the last three days concerning the operation the Syrians carried out against the Kurds, and therefore we are taking a significant safety margin here, and we should not give up until we understand whether this regime... is actually moving in a non-jihadi direction," as he described it.

About the Israeli concern regarding Turkey and Qatar, Milo stated that "there is no vacuum in the southeast, as there is an extremist Sunni axis that has begun to rise," adding: "Turkey and Qatar pose a great problem, and we are very concerned about it, as it is a different story because it (Turkey) is a NATO member state."

In the same context, he added that Ankara and Washington are "in close contact."