Israel Warns It May Strike Iran Alone Over Missile ‘Red Line’

Israel has warned the United States that it is prepared to strike Iran unilaterally if Tehran crosses what it defines as a red line on ballistic missile development, underscoring mounting tensions over Iran’s expanding missile capabilities.

Missile Program Seen as Existential Threat

Israeli defense officials have recently conveyed to their US counterparts that Iran’s ballistic missile program poses an existential danger to Israel. According to security sources, Jerusalem has made clear through a series of high-level exchanges that it is willing to act independently if diplomatic or limited military measures fail to halt Iran’s progress.

“We told the Americans we will strike alone if Iran crosses the red line we set on ballistic missiles,” one source said, stressing that Israel believes Iran has not yet reached that threshold but is being closely monitored.

Operational Plans Shared With Washington

Officials said Israel has outlined operational concepts aimed at dismantling Iran’s missile capabilities, including strikes on key production and manufacturing facilities. These plans, they added, are designed to degrade both current stockpiles and future production capacity.

Israeli defense officials emphasized that the country reserves full freedom of action and will not allow Iran to rebuild or expand strategic weapons systems at a scale that threatens Israel’s existence or regional stability.

One senior official described the current period as a “historic opportunity” to deliver a significant blow to Iran’s missile infrastructure and neutralize active threats to Israel and neighboring states.

Fears of Limited US Action

At the same time, concerns have been raised within Israel that US President Donald Trump may favor a limited strike model, similar to recent US operations against the Houthis in Yemen. Several Israeli officials fear such an approach would fall short of eliminating Iran’s most critical capabilities.

“The worry is he might choose a few targets, declare success, and leave Israel to deal with the fallout,” one military official said, warning that partial measures would not address the core threat posed by Iran’s missile program.

Senior Military Coordination Ahead of US Visit

Within the Israeli military, Brig. Gen. Omer Tishler, the incoming commander of the Israeli Air Force, is expected to accompany Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on his upcoming visit to the United States. Tishler will represent IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, as the post of defense attaché in Washington remains vacant following Defense Minister Israel Katz’s decision not to approve the military’s nominee.

Israeli officials say the discussions in Washington will be critical in shaping the next phase of coordination—or divergence—between the allies as tensions over Iran’s missile ambitions continue to rise.