Netanyahu vows stronger Israeli response to Iran amid U.S. airstrikes and regional escalation

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned at the Negev Conference in Dimona that any Iranian attack on Israel would be met with a "much more powerful" response, emphasizing that the retaliation would not be a repeat of past actions. The remarks came as the United States, under former President Donald Trump’s statements, conducted a third consecutive day of airstrikes on Iranian military and nuclear sites, claiming to halt Tehran’s progress toward a nuclear weapon within weeks. Trump also announced the reinstatement of a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, demanding a 20 % compensation from countries benefiting from the waterway.

The U.S. campaign has been accompanied by Iranian missile and drone attacks on U.S. bases in Bahrain, Jordan and other regional allies, as well as attacks on two Emirati vessels transiting the Strait, which left one crew member dead and eight injured. In a separate development, Saudi Arabia launched a rare offensive against Houthi insurgents in Yemen, an operation that U.S. officials say received direct backing from Trump.

The combined statements and military actions underscore a sharply rising tension across the Middle East, linking Israeli threats, American airpower, Iranian retaliatory strikes, and Saudi military moves into a broader regional confrontation.