Israel has boosted the deployment of its air-defense systems due to concerns that Iran could retaliate for the May 22 assassination of a senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps officer in Tehran, Kan News reported on Monday.
The move comes after the National Security Council took the unusual step on Monday of updating a travel advisory to Turkey, citing a tangible threat of Iranian attack on Israeli nationals there.
On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett told a weekly government meeting that “the era of immunity for Iran is over. Those who fund terrorists, arm terrorists and send terrorists will pay the full price.”
On May 23, the day after the Iranian officer was killed, Israel raised the alert level of its embassies worldwide out of concern over possible Iranian retaliation.
While Israel has not claimed responsibility for the killing, an unnamed intelligence official told The New York Times last Wednesday that Israel was behind the hit. According to the report, the assassination was a warning to Iran to halt the operations of its Unit 840—a covert group within the IRGC’s black-ops arm, the Quds Force.
According to the Israeli government, the Israeli military and intelligence officials, Unit 840 is tasked with abductions and assassinations of foreigners around the world, including Israeli civilians and officials.
