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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel is closely monitoring developments in Iran as protests spread across the country.
“Israel is closely monitoring developments in Iran. The demonstrations for freedom have spread across the country. The people of Israel, and indeed the entire world, marvel at the immense bravery of the citizens of Iran,” Netanyahu said at the start of his cabinet meeting.
“We all hope that the Persian nation will soon be freed from the yoke of tyranny.”
Israel’s military chief, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, held situational assessments over the weekend in light of the protests in Iran, the Times of Israel reported.
The Israeli military is treating the escalating anti-government protests as an internal Iranian matter, the report said.
However, after Iranian threats on Sunday to attack US and Israeli targets, the military is staying operationally prepared and ready to respond if necessary.
Separately, Israel’s Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee will hold a meeting on Wednesday to assess the situation.
US President Donald Trump is considering several options to support protests in Iran and increase pressure on the country’s leadership, two senior US officials told Axios on Sunday.
"After Thursday the Iranian regime was significantly concerned and conducted a serious reassessment of the situation," an Israeli defense official with knowledge of the intelligence on Iran was quoted as saying in the report.
While US military strikes on Iranian targets are among the options under discussion, many within the Trump administration believe major kinetic action at this stage would undercut the protest movement, according to a US official.
Other options include measures aimed at deterring Tehran, such as announcing that a US aircraft carrier strike group is heading to the region.
The official said the administration is also considering cyberattacks and information operations targeting the Iranian government.
Israeli and US officials also told Axios they believe the true death toll is likely several times higher than the 116 reported on Saturday by the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said Israel supports the Iranian people’s protests seeking freedom.
“We support the Iranian people’s struggle for freedom and wish them success,” Sa’ar wrote on X.
Japan expressed concerns on Sunday about reports that many people have been killed or injured during ongoing protests in Iran.
“The Government of Japan opposes any use of force against peaceful protests,” Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu said, calling for an immediate end to violence and expressing hope for an early resolution of the situation.
He added that Japan is taking all necessary measures to ensure the protection of Japanese nationals in Iran.
