JERUSALEM, Israel – Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has ordered a direct strike on Israel after the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
In Israel and throughout the Middle East, citizens, foreign nationals, businesses, and military personnel are preparing for the possibility of a regional war on multiple fronts, all at once.
Some analysts believe Iran, along with its regional proxies, is preparing an even larger attack than when it launched more than 350 missiles, rockets, and UAVs at Israel on April 13th.
Israel Defense Forces Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari announced Thursday that the military is on high alert.
"Both in defense and in attack, IDF forces are deployed in the air, at sea, and on land and are prepared for any scenario, and especially for the attack plans in the immediate time frame," Hagari stated.
With the prospect of an all-out war, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Thursday with the Home Front Command.
"Israel is at a very high level of readiness for any scenario – both defensively and offensively," Netanyahu declared. "We will exact a very heavy price for any act of aggression against us from any arena."
Former Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren, now in uniform, reaffirmed to CBN News that Israel is prepared.
“We are prepared for every possible contingency, every possible scenario, and anybody who strikes us will pay a very, very high price.”
When asked about the state of the military's readiness, Oren responded, "Very high. Very high. I'm talking to you from the north, from the northern border. And the level of alert here is very high."
Following a call between Netanyahu and President Joe Biden, the U.S. said it's committed to Israel's security from Iranian threats and announced new U.S. military deployments. Israel is also coordinating with an international coalition to face potential attacks.
Iran's Speaker of Parliament, Bagher Qalibaf, blamed both Israel and the U.S. for the killing of Haniyeh in Tehran and vowed a massive retaliation.
"The usurping Zionist regime should know that it will pay a heavy price for this cowardly night attack within the secure boundaries of the Islamic Republic – a price that will be beyond their logical calculations, God willing," Qalibaf said.
Amid much speculation over how the killing of Haniyeh in Tehran was carried out last weekend, The New York Times reports he was killed in Tehran by a bomb planted in his apartment two months ago.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah warned from Lebanon that the war with Israel entered a new phase after the killing, just hours before Haniyeh, of Fuad Shukur, Hezbollah's second-in-command.
“The enemy and those behind the enemy must wait for our inevitable reaction, God willing," Nasrallah asserted. "There is no discussion or controversy about this.”
U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) sent the terrorists a counter-warning from Washington.
“It is time to end the charade that the world is playing when it comes to Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran. They're one in the same," he said.
Graham is proposing a Senate resolution that any escalation by Hezbollah against Israel should be viewed as an attack by Iran, and he believes Israel should take the offensive against the Tehran regime's bread and butter.
“It is time to hit the Ayatollah in the pocketbook. His oil refineries are the lifeblood of his regime. Without those refineries, they would not be able to fund terrorism,” the senator explained.
Graham is also introducing a resolution that would authorize the use of military force by the United States to stop an Iranian nuclear breakout.
Meanwhile, as Israelis prepare to be more prominent targets in the conflict, the nation is widely celebrating the performances of their Olympic athletes, especially the medal winners in judo and their promising prospects in windsurfing. It's a much-needed sign of resilience for a people that just marked 300 straight days of war and counting.
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