PM’s office said to fume after Likud MK says ‘we’re on verge’ of attack on Iran this weekend
Backbencher Moshe Saada later claims he was referring to US, not Israel, attacking Iran, as Trump says he's weighing major strike; official: Saada 'knows nothing, he's just blathering'
A Likud backbencher seemed to claim in a TV interview on Thursday that Israel was about to attack Iran, a comment that reportedly left the Prime Minister’s Office fuming, causing him to backpedal.
“Everyone knows that we’re on the verge of an attack in Iran — perhaps even this weekend. Those are the estimates,” lawmaker Moshe Saada told the pro-government Channel 14.
Saada, a member of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s party, later clarified on X that he was referring to a US attack on Iran — not an Israeli one, and recommended listening to the “full interview.” But officials scrambled to clarify that he was not privy to any new intelligence on the war.
“He doesn’t know anything, he’s just blathering,” one official told the Ynet outlet. “He decided for himself to say what he said. He isn’t party to any security discussions and was talking about things he heard in the media. He said things he has no idea about.”
The Israel Hayom outlet reported that in the aftermath of Saada’s remark, Likud instructed its lawmakers not to make public statements about the war. Channel 13 reported that the PMO was fuming.
The tempest over Saada’s statement comes as US President Donald Trump is indeed threatening, once again, to escalate attacks on Iran, something he has done repeatedly before announcing a diplomatic breakthrough.
“I am considering a massive attack. Bigger than ever before. I am close to making a decision. We are all set for it,” he told Axios.
Israel “would join in two minutes if I asked them to,” Trump said, adding that “we don’t need anybody.” He also said there would be “consequences” if Israel joined in, likely referring to Iranian attacks on Israel.
Earlier on Thursday, the mayors of several Israeli cities announced that they would be opening public bomb shelters amid fears of an Iranian attack.
Home Front Command guidelines nationwide remained unchanged, and municipalities often decide independently to open their shelters.