The military emphasized that it maintains a high level of readiness for unexpected scenarios.
By The IDF Club
As tensions between the United States, Iran, and Israel continue to intensify, the Israel Defense Forces on Monday urged the public to disregard rumors circulating amid growing unrest inside the Islamic Republic.
An IDF spokesperson said that speculation linked to developments in Iran has increased in recent days, stressing that the protests are an internal Iranian matter.
The military emphasized that it remains prepared on the defensive front and maintains a high level of readiness for unexpected scenarios if required, while continuing regular situation assessments.
The statement added that the public would be updated should any changes occur, and cautioned against spreading unverified information.
The clarification came against a backdrop of escalating rhetoric from Tehran.
According to Reuters, Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned earlier in the week that any U.S. military strike would prompt a direct response, declaring that Israeli targets and U.S. military bases across the Middle East would be considered “legitimate targets” in the event of an attack.
Reuters also reported that Israel has raised its level of alert amid concerns that Washington could move toward military action as protests spread across Iran and the regime intensifies its crackdown. The unrest has been accompanied by reports of widespread internet disruptions and rising casualties.
In Washington, President Trump has in recent days repeatedly hinted that the United States could become directly involved in the unrest, suggesting he could order strikes on regime forces while ruling out the deployment of ground troops.
On Friday, Trump said his administration is “watching the situation” in Iran “very carefully,” reiterating warnings to the Iranian leadership not to harm demonstrators.
“If they start killing people like they have in the past, we will get involved,” Trump said.
Meanwhile, estimates of the death toll continue to climb amid a near-total information blackout.
The London based dissident outlet Iran International has reported figures far higher than previously reported publicly. While the outlet initially said at least 2,000 protesters had been killed early in the blackout that began on Thursday, it raised its estimate on Tuesday to 12,000.
“In the largest massacre in Iran’s modern history, at least 12,000 people have been murdered, mainly on two consecutive nights, Thursday and Friday, January 8 and 9,” Iran International’s editorial board wrote in a statement.
