Northern Command chief: IDF prepared on all fronts if a US attack on Iran sparks retaliation

IDF Northern Command chief Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo says the military is preparing for the possibility that a US strike on Iran could trigger Iranian retaliation against Israel, Channel 12 reports.

“We don’t know where this is heading,” Milo says in remarks broadcast by the network, as tensions continue to mount. “We see the force buildup the Americans are carrying out, both in the Persian Gulf and throughout the Middle East.”

Milo says the military is on heightened alert for any escalation should Washington decide to attack Tehran.

“We are prepared and ready, so that if the US decides to strike Iran, we understand it could affect Israel, with part of the Iranian response possibly reaching here,” he says.

He adds that Israel is also closely watching whether Hezbollah could join a wider confrontation, saying, “We are very alert, very prepared, and ready both in strong defense and in preparing offensive responses.”

Milo also raises concerns about what he describes as a growing “extreme Sunni axis” in the region, citing Turkey and Qatar as “a very big problem.”

Turning to Syria, he says the arena remains “challenging and complex,” warning of the “jihadist tendencies” of the country’s leadership, in an apparent reference to Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s past ties to al-Qaeda.

“Therefore, we are now determined not to go backward… to continue a strong defense with full freedom of action in Syria,” Milo says.