Israel has threatened a major escalation in its war with Iran , as Tehran announced new offensive tactics and claimed fresh attacks on Israeli and US-linked targets. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said that attacks on Iran would intensify "significantly" in the coming days following a high-level security meeting on Saturday.
"Over the coming week, the intensity of the attacks carried out by the Israeli and US militaries against the Iranian regime and the infrastructure it relies on will increase significantly," Katz said, adding that Israel would not halt its campaign "until all war objectives are achieved".
He also claimed that "the Israeli army is strong, and the Israeli home front is strong", amid continued Iranian missile strikes on Israeli targets.
The remarks came after a situation assessment attended by senior officials including Deputy Chief of Staff Tamir Yadai, military intelligence chief Shlomi Binder and Defence Ministry Director General Amir Baram.
Separately, Israeli army spokesperson Effie Defrin said an Israeli fighter jet was targeted by a surface-to-air missile during an operation over Iran, but was not hit.
"The crew acted according to procedures, and no damage was caused to the aircraft, which continued its mission as planned," he said, claiming that multiple attempts to target Israeli aircraft had been detected since the start of the war and had been handled "successfully".
He said the air force "will continue to fly and carry out strikes wherever required across Iran, and will accomplish its missions despite the threat in every sortie".
On the Iranian side, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had begun deploying "new offensive tactics and more advanced systems" in the latest phase of the conflict.
In a statement, the IRGC said that during the 71st wave of its "True Promise 4" operations, launched in the early hours of the Iranian new year, it delivered a "first fiery slap" to Israel and US forces.
It said that in a "rapid and continuous operation", Tel Aviv and areas in Rishon LeZion were struck using heavy precision "Emad" missiles, multi-warhead "Qadr" missiles and suicide drones.
The IRGC added that further targets, including US bases in Gulf countries, were attacked as part of what it described as a phased attrition strategy.
According to the statement, Iranian commanders introduced "new offensive tactics and more advanced systems" after identifying weaknesses in their adversaries' defences during the first three weeks of the war, warning that the battlefield "will become narrower and more difficult for the enemy than before".
Iran said separately that its drones had targeted Israeli military infrastructure, including fuel storage tanks and refuelling aircraft positions at Ben Gurion Airport.
The Iranian army added that its operations "will continue with strength until the threat to the Iranian people is eliminated".