Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Monday that the Iranian regime would face “a force they cannot even imagine” if it attacked the Jewish state, as American cargo and refueling planes landed at Ben Gurion Airport and a US aircraft carrier strike group advanced toward the eastern Mediterranean amid rising regional tensions.
Addressing the Knesset (Israel’s parliament) during a special debate, Netanyahu said the country is going through “very complex and challenging days,” warning that “no one knows what tomorrow will bring.”
He said he had conveyed a direct message to Tehran: if it makes “perhaps the gravest mistake in its history” and attacks Israel, the response will be overwhelming.
“We will respond with a force you cannot even imagine,” he declared.
Netanyahu called on Israelis to stand “shoulder to shoulder,” saying this is not a time for internal divisions but for national unity as tensions escalate.
He noted that he had just returned from a summit meeting with US President Donald J. Trump, and described coordination between Jerusalem and Washington (including ties between the IDF and the US military) as closer than ever.
“Israel has never been stronger,” Netanyahu said.
His comments came as Boeing KC-135 refueling aircraft and C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft were checked in earlier that day at Ben Gurion Airport. At least two refuelings reportedly arrived from Al Udeid air base in Qatar, the largest US base in the Middle East.
Meanwhile, the USS Gerald Ford — the world’s largest aircraft carrier — was spotted near Crete after being sent to the region earlier this month to join the USS abraham lincolnwhich is already deployed.
According to regional security assessments, more than 200 US fighter jets are positioned throughout the Middle East.
Defense analysts tracking open-source naval and flight data report that more than 85 refueling tankers and more than 170 cargo planes have invaded the region since mid-February, marking the largest buildup of U.S. naval and air power in the Middle East since the 2003 Iraq War, albeit without a comparable ground force.
More red flags emerged in Lebanon, where the United States reduced its embassy presence in Beirut to essential personnel only, evacuating approximately 50 staff and family members as a precaution. The embassy remains operational.
Inside Israel, hospitals have accelerated emergency preparations.
Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba, which was hit by a ballistic missile in June 2025, has conducted large-scale simulations and refined patient transfer protocols in preparation for a possible new campaign. Wolfson Medical Center in Holon has relocated departments and cleared underground areas, while Assuta Medical Center in Tel Aviv opened a fortified underground complex with the capacity to house approximately 200 patients to ensure continuity of care under the sustained threat of missiles.
Municipal authorities have also reviewed emergency preparedness, with several cities confirming that public shelters would open automatically in the event of an attack.
The military buildup comes as new talks between Washington and Tehran are scheduled for Thursday in Geneva. Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in what Israeli officials see as a narrowing diplomatic window after previous rounds that produced no results.
On Monday afternoon, President Trump rejected reports suggesting that senior Pentagon officials had warned him against military action.
“Numerous fake news media stories have been circulating claiming that General Daniel Caine… is against us going to war with Iran,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, calling the claims “100% incorrect.”
Trump said that Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine believes that if military action is ordered, “it will be easily won” and emphasized that he alone will decide whether to carry out an attack.
“I am the one who makes the decision,” the president wrote, adding that while he prefers an agreement, “if we do not reach an agreement, it will be a very bad day for that country.”
The president’s comments followed media reports outlining the Pentagon’s assessments of the potential risks associated with a prolonged campaign, including casualties and broader regional escalation. No final decision has been announced.
Meanwhile, fresh anti-regime protests were reported at several universities in Tehran following the reopening of campuses, with images showing clashes between students and Basij militia forces.
Netanyahu closed his speech with a sober reminder of the uncertainty ahead.
“No one knows what tomorrow will bring,” he said. “But we are prepared for any scenario.”
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jklein@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.
