Israel prepares for potential Iranian missile fire this weekend as US strikes continue

The Israeli military raised its alert level, while several municipalities across the country announced the opening of public shelters as Israel entered a tense weekend amid concerns that Iran could launch an attack. The heightened alert comes after the Iranian regime targeted several countries across the region and as exchanges of fire with the United States have escalated in recent weeks.

U.S. President Donald Trump told Israel's Channel 12 News on Thursday he is “considering a massive attack. Bigger than ever before. I am close to making a decision. We are all set for it.”

With numerous signs pointing toward an escalation that is expected to involve Israel, the military and authorities raised the level of preparedness ahead of the weekend.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced after a high-level security consultation: “We are preparing for every possibility. If Iran attacks Israel, it will suffer a crushing blow.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was set to hold another security consultation on Friday.

Likud party Knesset Member Moshe Saada said on Thursday, “We are approaching a strike on Iran – perhaps as early as this weekend.” He later clarified that he meant a U.S. strike against Iran, not an Israeli attack.

CENTCOM: תקיפות כוחות ארה״ב על איראן נמשכו הלילה ה-13 ברציפות, ונועדו להחזיר את איראן לשאת באחריות ולהפחית את האיומים של משמרות המהפכה על הספנות המסחרית. pic.twitter.com/SV7jZwXKPe

— Presamiga (@presamiga) July 24, 2026

Israel’s Health Ministry announced that it convened a meeting to assess the healthcare system’s preparedness for all escalation scenarios and is maintaining ongoing coordination with hospitals and health clinics. Ramat Gan Mayor Carmel Shama-Hacohen noted, “Our assessment is that the risk of missile fire from Iran this weekend has increased and is no longer negligible.”

Despite the warning signs, the IDF Home Front Command issued no new instructions for the civilian population. Army Radio reported that security forces are prepared. “It is still too early to know with certainty whether we are on the eve of another campaign against Iran, but we are definitely in a holding pattern.”

Most military officials who spoke with Israeli media outlets noted that the situation was dependent upon Trump's decisions. According to Channel 12, Israeli officials were given indications to prepare for escalation from their U.S. counterparts, although the timing has not yet been determined.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced it conducted a 13th consecutive wave of strikes on Iranian targets overnight, hitting “military command centers, drone storage facilities, communication networks, coastal surveillance sites, and maritime capabilities to further diminish the threat Iran poses to civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.”

“The international waterway remains open for transit despite recent attacks from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps,” CENTCOM noted.

On Thursday, Trump escalated his rhetoric, telling Axios that he is considering a new campaign against Iran that would be larger than Operation Epic Fury.

He said, if so, Israel “would join in two minutes if I ask them to,” but also said that “we don't need anybody” to launch a new operation.

If Israel joins the conflict, there would be “consequences,” Trump said, apparently confirming Israeli concerns that the regime could target Israel in retaliation.

The U.S. president noted that Iran “wants to negotiate” but isn’t ready for an agreement because, in his opinion, “They haven't received enough pain yet.”

The regime rejected the latest ceasefire proposal transmitted from the U.S. via Iraqi mediators, The New York Times reported on Thursday.

Overnight, Trump wrote on Truth Social that “from this point forth, any and all damages done to Ships, Cargo, or anything related thereto, will be paid for by Iranian Money that the United States has in its possession, and controls.”