Israel Raises Alert Level Amid Fears of Potential Iranian Escalation

A Hebrew-language report stated that Israeli Chief of Staff ordered maintaining a high level of alert to prepare for potential scenarios, amid continued concerns over a possible Iranian escalation and avoiding any field surprises, as monitoring of Iranian movements continues, both at nuclear facilities and in efforts to rebuild military capabilities.

Israeli assessments indicate that Tehran has not resumed uranium enrichment since the Israel-Iran war in June 2025, and the enriched material remains within facilities that have been hit by American and Israeli attacks.

According to a report published by the Hebrew site "Walla," Israel's security establishment views the halt in uranium enrichment operations as a significant achievement, with enriched uranium remaining inside Iran, not transferred abroad as part of ongoing negotiations between Washington and Tehran, and still buried in underground facilities targeted by American and Israeli strikes.

Given these circumstances, Israeli intelligence agencies have intensified monitoring of various Iranian facilities, including the "Jabal al-Fawas" site, aiming to detect any unusual movements or activities and accurately determine their nature, fearing Iran may attempt to rehabilitate damaged sites or transfer materials and infrastructure.

The Israeli security establishment and political leadership view the assassination of scientists from Iran’s first and second nuclear program circles as an additional factor hindering Tehran’s efforts to rebuild its capabilities.

"Walla" quoted a source saying that targeting "centers of knowledge" makes it extremely difficult for Iranians, in the current and foreseeable future, to rehabilitate infrastructure and make decisions on how to carry out such tasks, noting that finding alternative solutions remains possible but would be highly complex.

According to Israeli assessments, the damage extends beyond the nuclear program, with the report indicating severe harm to Iran’s military industries due to attacks carried out by Israeli and American forces. Although Iran has resumed military production, its pace remains limited and "far from" the level it aimed for before the operation, while U.S. sanctions further complicate rehabilitation efforts.

The site quoted an Israeli security source stating that Iran’s recent launch of short-range missiles and rocket projectiles is no coincidence, arguing that its long-range missile arsenal faces constraints.

In parallel with military developments, senior officials in Israel’s security establishment describe the current confrontation between Iran and the United States as a "war of hours," referring to the race of pressures between the two sides and waiting to see which one will back down first.

They explained that for the U.S. side, oil prices are a major concern at the White House, given fears that rising prices could impact inflation and the economy, along with the extraordinary spending costs linked to the war, especially as midterm elections approach at the end of November.

As for Iran, the report says it faces increasing economic pressure due to U.S. measures, while President Donald Trump has so far refrained from imposing new harsh sanctions, which the report suggests could accelerate the worsening of Iran’s domestic economic crisis.

Israeli security sources believe that the deepening economic crisis, combined with Iranian authorities’ fears of rapidly escalating popular unrest that could become uncontrollable, might push Tehran to attempt shifting the crisis abroad through regional escalation.