Watan-The Israeli newspaper Maariv reported on Friday that Israel has recently held secret high-level discussions to prepare for the possibility of a military confrontation with Iran—either through an Israeli strike on Tehran or an Iranian attack on Tel Aviv.
These revelations come as the United States pursues a nuclear agreement with Iran, emphasizing diplomatic pathways and ruling out military solutions. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government continue to favor the military option, even as Washington views the ongoing negotiations as productive.
According to Maariv, various Israeli ministries have recently held “closed and classified sessions” to assess scenarios involving either a preemptive Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear facilities or a retaliatory Iranian missile assault on Israeli cities.
Officials warned that such developments could unfold “with little or no prior warning.”
The sessions, held under strict secrecy with phones banned, included evaluations suggesting that if Israel attacks Iran, the resulting military conflict could last for an indefinite period.
Netanyahu Trump tensions
Participants also discussed potential fallout from an Iranian response, including the launch of thousands of heavy missiles—each weighing around 700 kilograms—into Israeli territory. Analysts projected that such an attack could paralyze Israel’s economy for 2 to 4 days, before emergency operations restore limited functionality.
The discussions extended to comprehensive civil defense preparations, including:
Immediate opening of over 10,000 public shelters
Infrastructure and supply chain resilience planning
Establishing evacuation zones
Increasing hospital capacity
And broader contingency plans under the authority of the Israeli Home Front Command.
On Wednesday, former U.S. President Donald Trump stated he had warned Netanyahu against disruptive countermeasures that could derail negotiations with Iran, signaling that any military escalation might undermine diplomatic progress.
Trump reaffirmed that talks with Iran are “going well,” expressing optimism that a deal could be reached within weeks.
Trump reaffirmed that talks with Iran are “going well,” expressing optimism that a deal could be reached within weeks.
Meanwhile, the Sultanate of Oman continues to mediate between Washington and Tehran, facilitating five rounds of negotiations—three of them held in the Omani capital, Muscat.
Iran’s key demands in the talks include the lifting of U.S. sanctions in exchange for limits on its nuclear activities—without compromising its right to peaceful atomic energy.