Israel's military is on high alert and ready to launch coordinated attacks on Iran, an Israeli source told CNN on Tuesday, as a deadline set by US President Donald Trump to reopen the Strait of Hormuz nears its end.
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Trump has threatened Iran with severe consequences if it does not comply with a US demand to reach a deal and reopen the strait by 8pm ET on Tuesday, risking the destruction of power plants and other civilian infrastructure.
An Israeli security source told CNN that detailed plans for a combined US-Israeli operation amid military coordination have been prepared, pending final approval from Trump. “We know there is a possibility that in the next few hours the president will extend the ultimatum at the last minute – or simply order the planes to take off,” the source said.
Another Israeli official familiar with plans for a contingency scenario indicated that the main targets would be Iran's national infrastructure, with specific sites being selected for the campaign's final strikes. According to this source, Israel will focus on energy and electricity facilities, while US forces will focus on oil infrastructure.
On Monday, Israel approved an updated list of infrastructure and energy targets in Iran in the event that US diplomatic efforts fail, two Israeli sources told CNN.
The head of the Israeli army, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, described the situation as being at a critical point. “We are approaching a strategic moment in the joint operation against Iran,” he declared. “So far, we have had significant achievements, including in terms of the objectives we set at the beginning of the operation. We will continue to act decisively and deepen the degradation of the regime.”
Targeted attacks on railways and bridges
On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that Israeli forces attacked railways and bridges used by the Revolutionary Guards. “Yesterday, our pilots destroyed transport planes and dozens of helicopters at an Iranian Air Force base. Today, they attacked railways and bridges used by the Revolutionary Guards,” Netanyahu said in a video message released by his office.
“They use them to transport raw materials for weapons, weapons themselves, and agents who attack us, attack the United States and countries in the region — the same agents who oppress the Iranian people,” he continued. Netanyahu emphasized that with these attacks, Israel “did not intend to target the Iranian people.”
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) later confirmed that eight bridges in several areas, including Tehran, Karaj, Tabriz, Kashan and Qom, were hit. The IDF assured that measures were taken to reduce civilian casualties, including the use of precision munitions and aerial surveillance.
Several railways in Iran were also attacked. The semi-official Mehr news agency reported that two people were killed after an attack on a railway bridge in Kashan. The attacks followed an earlier warning by the IDF, which urged Iranians to avoid trains and rail infrastructure for 12 hours.
Netanyahu's statement came just hours before Trump's deadline on the Strait of Hormuz, highlighting the high potential for an escalation of the conflict.
