An expanding battlefield: US intervention in Iran-Israel conflict puts Israel on edge

Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

Israel has re-entered an unprecedented state of emergency following the United States' direct military involvement in the war with Iran, a move that has significantly escalated the ongoing conflict. 

Hours after American strikes—carried out in coordination with the Israeli military—targeted Iranian nuclear facilities, Iran responded with a barrage of ballistic missiles, launching two waves of 30 rockets that hit Tel Aviv, Haifa, and at least five other locations across the country.

The impact of the strikes, which caused extensive destruction in urban areas, has drawn comparisons between scenes from Gaza and those in the heart of Tel Aviv. What had been a gradual return to routine life for many Israeli civilians quickly reversed as authorities reinstated a nationwide state of alert.

Israel's military, citing elevated threats, has stepped up its operations by increasing aerial activity and deploying additional troops toward the northern borders with Lebanon and Syria, as well as eastward toward Jordan. Defense officials claim Iran is preparing coordinated attacks not only through intensified missile strikes but also via its regional proxies—particularly in Lebanon.

A growing concern is the reported shortage of interceptor missiles in Israel's Arrow defense system. Sunday's Iranian strikes utilized warheads carrying massive explosive payloads, significantly increasing the blast radius and highlighting vulnerabilities in Israel's air defense capabilities.

While Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's camp sees the U.S. intervention as a strategic gain, it has also triggered domestic criticism. 

Several political voices are now urging an immediate end to Israel's campaign against Iran, citing Netanyahu's own earlier remarks that U.S. involvement would bring the war to a rapid close—comments now seen as increasingly at odds with the current trajectory of the conflict.

The recent American strike on Iran's underground Fordow nuclear facility has become a key flashpoint, underscoring just how deeply Israel is now entrenched in a high-stakes regional war with unpredictable consequences.