Israel is preparing for Iran’s response: Intensifying reserve recruitment for the air defense system and considering opening public shelters

The Israeli army said, on Wednesday evening, that it had decided to intensify reserve recruitment in the air defense system, in a move that is considered to be coming in anticipation of a retaliatory response from Iran to the assassination of a senior leader of the Revolutionary Guard in Syria.

In a brief statement posted on its account on X platform, the Israeli army said that, as part of its assessment of the situation, “it was decided to strengthen and recruit reserve soldiers for the air defense system”.

For its part, the Israeli Channel 12 said that the army’s statement came against the backdrop of Iran’s threats of revenge after the assassination of a senior officer in the Revolutionary Guard in Damascus.

Channel 12 added, “The assessment in Israel is that Iran will try, through its branches in the Middle East, to attack Israel from Yemen, Syria and Lebanon”.

Channel 12 considered that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s threat to Israel on Tuesday, and his assertion that it will regret it, raised a state of high alert in the security establishment for fear of Iranian retaliation.

Channel 12 pointed out that the state of alert has been raised in various systems in the Israeli army as part of preparations for launching operations (missiles and drones) towards Israel, as combat aircraft have become on alert, including their readiness to carry out interception operations”.

Last Monday evening, Iran announced that the consular section of its embassy in Damascus had been subjected to an Israeli missile attack.

While the Iranian Revolutionary Guard reported the martyrdom of 7 of its members, including prominent leader Mohammad Reza Zahedi.

The Israeli Army Radio denied targeting the Iranian embassy building, it claimed that it bombed a building adjacent to it that served as the military headquarters of the Revolutionary Guard.

The Israeli media also reported that local authorities in the greater Tel Aviv area were considering opening public shelters against the backdrop of what it described as security tensions after Iran’s threats to respond to Israeli bombing that it said targeted the consular section of its embassy in the Syrian capital, Damascus.

According to Walla website, “In the wake of security tensions, many local authorities in Gush Dan (the greater Tel Aviv area) are considering opening public shelters tonight”.

Meanwhile, Channel 12 quoted the former head of the Israeli Military Intelligence Division (Aman), Amos Yadlin, as saying, “I wouldn’t be surprised if Iran fired missiles directly at Israel”.

Yadlin added, “It’s possible that Hezbollah received an order to start the war on the last Friday of the month of Ramadan; That is, exactly two days later”.

For its part, Maariv newspaper said that the Israeli Air Force has been placed on high alert due to the possibility of an Iranian reaction in the near future.

As for the military commentator for Channel 13, Alon Ben David, he said, “Israel realizes that the Iranians are more determined to respond this time than in previous times”.

Earlier on Wednesday evening, the Israeli army said that it decided, after evaluating the situation, to intensify reserve recruitment in the air defense system.

On Wednesday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant said at the end of an exercise to check the readiness of the civilian home front in the Haifa area for war scenarios.

“We must be alert and prepared for every scenario and every threat, against near enemies and against distant enemies,” Galant said.

Gallant added, “We’ll know how to protect the citizens of Israel, and we will know how to attack our enemies, and we are committed to being prepared, whether in the Israeli army, in the security system, or in the civil sphere”.

On April 1, Iran announced that the consular section of its embassy in Damascus had been subjected to an Israeli missile attack, while the Iranian Revolutionary Guard reported that 7 of its members had been killed, including the prominent leader of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Mohammad Reza Zahedi.