[50996] Fear of escalation in the Persian Gulf: Iran resumes fire, high alert in Israel

Renewed fighting in the Gulf and its implications for Israel

Regional tension reaches new heights with reports of renewed Iranian military activity in the Persian Gulf. According to Nitzan Shapira, a channel presenting positions that express support for the current US administration's policy and for Netanyahu, "The Iranians resumed fire into the Gulf yesterday," which led to reassessments in the Israeli security establishment regarding the possibility of "renewing the war."

At the same time, Epoch - Magazine | News | Commentary and NTD News Hebrew – entities associated with a line of coverage critical of Iran – report that despite the growing tension, senior security officials in Israel believe that Iran is focusing its military activity within the Gulf region only, and is refraining at this stage from expanding the campaign toward Israel.

On the diplomatic level, reports point to potential disagreements between the security echelon and the political echelon. While Jerusalem maintains a "high alert for any possible development" (according to Epoch), senior officials in the political system estimate that the US President is still adhering to a strategy of striving for an agreement, which may influence the nature of the international and Israeli response to recent developments.