Israel braces for potential Iranian missile strike: Here's what to know

Israel is on high alert, preparing for a possible missile attack from Iran following Tehran’s escalating threats against the United States and its bases in the Middle East. The warning, issued amid a tense standoff with U.S. President Donald Trump, has raised fears in Jerusalem that any U.S.-Iran clash could quickly engulf Israel in a barrage of ballistic missiles, echoing the devastating strikes of October 2024.

The alarm comes as Iran’s rhetoric intensifies. In a March 30 interview with state-run Press TV, General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force, vowed to “obliterate” U.S. bases if provoked, warning of “tens of thousands” of American casualties. Tehran’s threats follow Trump’s March 28 ultimatum—delivered via X—that Iran would be “bombed like never before” if it defied nuclear talks, a stance hardened after Iran rejected direct negotiations last month. Israel, long a target of Iran’s proxy wars through Hezbollah and Hamas, now anticipates a direct strike as Tehran’s regime, weakened by sanctions and Assad’s fall in Syria, grows desperate.

Israeli security officials see this as more than bluster. Since October 7, 2023, when Hamas’s attack killed 1,200 and triggered the ongoing Gaza war, Iran has bolstered its missile arsenal, tested in strikes like the April 13, 2024, barrage of 300 drones and missiles on Israel—most intercepted by the IDF, U.S., and allies. With over 62,000 Palestinian deaths reported by Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry and Israel’s renewed offensive since March 18, Iran’s IRGC sees an opening to flex its might. “They’ve got little to lose,” a defense source told Kan News, noting Iran’s economic collapse and loss of Syrian leverage after HTS ousted Assad in December 2024.

Preparations in Israel are underway. The IDF’s Home Front Command has ramped up drills in northern cities like Haifa, where Hezbollah’s 150,000 rockets—supplied by Iran—remain a parallel threat. Arrow missile defense systems, proven against Iran’s hypersonic Fattah-1 missiles last year, are on heightened alert, while air raid sirens and shelter checks are being tested nationwide. Officials warn that even a U.S.-focused strike could spiral, given Israel’s role as America’s key regional ally and Iran’s stated goal to “wipe out the Zionist entity,” reiterated by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on March 25.

With Tehran enriching uranium to near-weapons-grade levels (IAEA, February 2025), and its proxies, like Yemen’s Houthis, hitting U.S. targets, Israel fears a multi-front escalation. “If Iran hits the U.S., we’re next,” a senior IDF officer said, pointing to the risk of retaliatory missile volleys from Iranian soil or its Lebanese proxy.