Hagari says no changes to civilian instructions amid expected Iran retaliatory strike

IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari in a press statement says IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi has concluded an assessment with CENTCOM chief Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla on the threat of an attack by Iran on Israel.

“We held a joint assessment of the situation, to ensure that our coordination is tight,” Hagari says.

He says there are still no changes in instructions to civilians amid the heightened alert of a potential Iranian attack.

“If there are any changes, we will update [the public] immediately,” Hagari says, stressing that civilians should still remain vigilant, as Israel’s air defenses are “among the best in the world, but not hermetic.”

“We have been at war for the past six months, and we have dealt with all the existing threats. Our defense is ready, and knows how to handle each threat individually. We are also ready for attack, with a variety of capabilities, to protect the citizens of Israel,” he says.

Hagari accuses Iran of “escalating the situation in the Middle East” amid the war in Gaza. “We will know how to operate wherever needed,” he says.

Responding to a question on the IDF’s threat assessments of Iran, Hagari says Tehran has been acting against Israel since the start of the war, citing attacks by its proxies in Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon.

“We’ve been acting against them [all] since the start of the war,” he says. “Iran is escalating, pushing for regional escalation. We’ll know how to deal with the Iranian threat. We are well-prepared and will know how to respond to anything,” he says.