Israel on Alert post Iran Pledges Reprisals for Lethal Embassy Strike

Due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza and Iran's threat of revenge for an attack in Syria earlier this month that claimed the lives of two Iranian generals, Israel was kept on high alert on Thursday. 

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Days after Israel stepped up its air defenses and temporarily stopped combat unit leave, the United States has warned of the likelihood of an attack by Iran or forces affiliated with it, amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ashton claimed on Wednesday that his country is "threatening to launch a significant attack on Israel." In addition, he promised "ironclad" backing for Israel, Iran's closest regional ally, despite the diplomatic sensitivity raised by Israel's actions in Gaza.

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On April 1, an attack resulted in the assassination of seven Revolutionary Guardsmen, two of whom were generals, and the destruction of the Iranian consulate in Damascus. The strike was mostly attributed to Israel.

The supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, issued a warning on Wednesday, saying that Israel "must be punished and will be punished," in response to remarks made by one of his advisors that Israeli embassies are "no longer safe”.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz swiftly responded to a warning posted on social media platform X, saying, "if Iran attacks from its territory, Israel will respond and attack Iran."

"Our commitment to Israel's security against these threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad," Biden purportedly told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and US Central Command chief Michael Kurilla met on Thursday to discuss the current state of affairs, according to the Pentagon.

At a briefing, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, "We warned Iran," without offering any more information.

The US embassy in Israel also said that, citing security concerns, it was restricting the movement of its diplomats and their families "until further notice" and that, "out of an abundance of caution," they should not venture beyond the general vicinity of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Beersheva.

Netanyahu bemoaned the "challenging times" on several fronts as he was touring an Israeli airbase in the country's center.

In statements released by his office, he stated, "We are in the middle of the war in Gaza which continues in full force... but we are also preparing for scenarios of challenges from other arenas."

Iran and Israel were asked by Russian officials to lower their aircraft.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock called for "maximum restraint," and Lufthansa said it had extended the temporary ban on flights to Iran until Saturday.

According to Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Baerbock phoned him on Thursday along with her Australian and British counterparts.

He had told them that "when the Zionist regime breaches the immunity of diplomatic persons and places" and the UN Security Council fails to condemn it, according to a post he made on X.

Iran and its alleged "Axis of Resistance" allies in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen have long been the target of hostilities between the US and Israel.