Politics

Israel is currently on high alert regarding the potential for United States intervention in Iran, as the country experiences its largest anti-government protests in years. This information comes from three Israeli sources familiar with the situation. Recently, President Donald Trump has issued repeated warnings about intervening and cautioned Iran’s leaders against using violence against the protesters. On Saturday, January 10, Trump stated that the US is “ready to help.” The sources, who participated in security discussions in Israel over the weekend, did not clarify what being on high alert entails for them. Israel and Iran previously engaged in a 12-day conflict in June. During a phone conversation on Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio about the possibility of US involvement in Iran, according to an Israeli source who was involved in the call. A US official confirmed that the two leaders talked but did not disclose the specifics of their discussion. Although protests are ongoing in Iran, Israel has not expressed any intent to intervene, despite the heightened tensions related to Israel's concerns over Iran’s nuclear and missile programs. In an interview with the Economist published on Friday, Netanyahu warned that Iran would face severe consequences if it attacked Israel. Referring to the protests, he remarked, “Everything else, I think we should see what is happening inside Iran.”