Israel is monitoring Iran and sending a blunt warning to the regime, which is under international pressure over growing protests.
“We are at a high level of readiness,” Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon told reporters. “We are ready with our defense capabilities, and we are ready with our offensive capabilities… We would advise Iran not to test our capabilities.”
Danon also said Israel was aware of where Iran keeps its ballistic missiles, something Tehran used against Jerusalem during the 12-day war in June 2025.
In June 2025, Israel launched ‘Operation Rising Lion’, which aimed to destroy Iran’s nuclear capabilities. The US eventually got involved and launched ‘Operation Midnight Hammer’, destroying Iran’s Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear facilities.
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Israel warns Iran not to test Jerusalem’s military strength. (Alex Wong/Getty Images; Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via Reuters)
The diplomat said what happened this summer was a “partial” demonstration of Israel’s capabilities, although he did not elaborate.
Danon told reporters that it would ultimately be up to the US to decide what and if this could happen and that Israel would “respect that decision.”
“Our position is very clear, it is a decision of the United States. We are ready,” Danon said. “We will not tell the US whether or not to do it or when to do it.”
The diplomat also suggested that the US might be willing to come to Israel’s aid, saying that if Iran were to attack Israel, “the US or someone else will attack them.”
Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, warned that what happened last summer was only a “partial” demonstration of his country’s military might. (Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)
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Iran warned President Donald Trump on Tuesday not to take action against its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“Trump knows that if a hand of aggression is extended to our leader, we will not only cut off that hand, but also set their world on fire,” said General Abolfazl Shekarchi, a spokesman for the Iranian armed forces, according to The Associated Press.
The comments came in response to Trump’s call for “new leadership in Iran.” He made this comment in an interview with Politics and told the newspaper that Khamenei “is a sick man who needs to govern his country well and stop killing people.”
Since protests began in Iran in late December, both the US and Israel have expressed support for citizens taking to the streets. President Donald Trump threatened that the US would take action if the regime met the protesters with force. However, the US has yet to intervene and the president has indicated he has postponed military strikes due to canceled executions.
“I have great respect for the fact that all planned hangings that were supposed to take place yesterday (more than 800 of them) have been canceled by the Iranian leadership. Thank you!” Trump said in a message Truth Social.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reiterated a similar message to reporters, saying all options remained on the table. She told reporters at a White House briefing that Trump told Iran that “if the killing continues, there will be serious consequences.”
Protests against the regime have been raging across Iran since late December. (UGC via AP)
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Israel has been open about its support for the Iranian people. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on January 11 that the country was “closely watching” what happened. He also promised that once Iran was “liberated from the yoke of tyranny,” Israel would be ready to be a partner in peace.
“Israel is closely watching events in Iran. Protests for freedom have spread throughout the country. The people of Israel, and the entire world, are in awe of the immense courage of Iranian citizens. Israel supports their struggle for freedom and strongly condemns the mass murders of innocent civilians,” Netanyahu said at the start of his weekly cabinet meeting.
“We all hope that the Persian nation will soon be freed from the yoke of tyranny, and that when that day comes, Israel and Iran will once again be faithful partners in building a future of prosperity and peace for both nations,” he added.
Iran has also linked the US and Israel to the protests. On January 16, a Iranian ambassador said both the US and Israel were responsible for causing “political destabilization, internal unrest and chaos.” The representative also blamed the US and Israel for “the innocent blood shed in my country.”
The Trump administration previously threatened Iran if the regime met protesters with force. (UGC via AP)
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Days before the diplomat made his comments, Iran’s mission to the UN said on
Iranian officials often use the phrase “Zionist regime” to refer to Israel.
The US-based Press agency for human rights activistswhich is monitoring the unrest in Iran, reported on Monday that the number of confirmed fatalities since the protests began was 4,029. The agency said at least 5,811 people were seriously injured and 26,015 people were arrested during the protests.
