Israel's military chief Herzi Halevi has said that the army was prepared, in close coordination with the US Central Command (CENTCOM), for a possible Iranian retaliatory attack.
Israel was on high alert on Friday as warnings increased of Iranian retaliation following Israeli airstrikes on Iran's embassy in Damascus, in which seven senior Iranian officers were killed, Xinhua news agency reported.
Photos released by the military showed CENTCOM Commander General Michael Erik Kurilla participating in a situational assessment meeting in Tel Aviv alongside Halevi and other senior Israel Defense Forces (IDF) commanders on Friday.
"The IDF is very strongly prepared, both offensively and defensively, against any threat," Halevi said on Friday, adding the military was "constantly preparing to deal with existing and potential threats in coordination with the US Armed Forces".
Later in a press briefing, IDF Spokesman Daniel Hagari said the joint meeting was held to "ensure a close coordination between us".
Hagari said that Israel's official alert application Home Front Command had not released new instructions for the public but that the military was on high alert.
"We are prepared for an attack with various capabilities and we will also know how to defend the citizens of Israel," he added.
Meanwhile, the Israeli intelligence agencies Mossad and Shin Bet have reported to the Israel war cabinet that Iran could conduct a minor drone attack on Israeli military establishments.
Drone attack likely?
Sources in Israel's Defence Ministry told IANS that the agencies have informed that Iran would not go for a major attack on Israel and that missiles may not be used.
A senior official with Israel's Defence Ministry, while speaking to IANS, said: "Iran will not attack Israel in a major way and might go for a drone attack. However, Israel is well prepared for that."
US President Joe Biden has already warned Iran against a possible attack.
Iran, according to Arab and Hebrew media outlets, is planning an attack on Israel within the next 24 hours. This is in retaliation to an attack in Damascus, Syria, in April that killed top Iranian military officers including Brigadier General Mohammed Reza Zahedi and six other officers of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps.
Raza Zahedi, according to Israel was directly overseeing the supply of arms and ammunition to Hezbollah and also part of the conspiracy of October 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
(With inputs from IANS)
