Iran warns of expanded retaliation as Israel orders military to prepare for possible attack

Detailed summary

Israel has reportedly ordered its military to prepare for a possible attack on Iran as Tehran warned it would expand the war beyond the region if attacked.

DUBAI — Israel has reportedly ordered its military to prepare for a possible attack on Iran as Tehran warned it would expand the war beyond the region if attacked.

“The directives issued by the security cabinet to the Israeli military could lead it to carry out activities that could trigger a war,” Israeli public broadcaster KAN reported late Wednesday.

KAN said the directives were made public after Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot issued a statement urging caretaker Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to refrain from unnecessary military operations until the next government is formed.

The security cabinet last met in person on Oct. 5, weeks before the Oct. 27 legislative elections.

In his statement on Wednesday on social media platform X, Eisenkot warned against deploying security forces without a direct and immediate threat requiring urgent action, saying this could have devastating consequences for Israeli democracy and public trust in state institutions.

Eisenkot was offered the chance to form a new government by Israeli President Isaac Herzog over the weekend after Netanyahu’s ruling coalition lost its parliamentary majority in the October elections.

Eisenkot urged Netanyahu to exercise restraint and avoid placing security chiefs in a constitutional dilemma over which orders they should follow.

The warning followed a report on Tuesday by Channel 12 that Netanyahu and Army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir were again at odds over possible action against Iran.

According to the channel, Zamir considered the steps Netanyahu was pursuing ill-advised and liable to trigger a confrontation at a time requiring caution, particularly as US President Donald Trump showed no desire to enter another conflict.

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