Israel Def Min: "World Should Prepare To Act Militarily Against Tehran"

In an interview with Ynet, Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz states that Israel is ready to attack Iran, and that "The world should prepare to act militarily against Tehran".

• The escalation in rhetoric comes after two separate incidents involving attacks on shipping in the Gulf, both of which have been laid at the feet of Iran by Israel and major Western states. Last week, a drone attack on the Israeli-managed MV Mercer Street oil tanker killed one British and one Romanian national, while in the last two days a Panamanian-flagged bitumen tanker was the subject of a hijacking attempt.
• The escalation in tensions in the Gulf comes as hardline conservative Ebrahim Raisi takes over the presidency of Iran (his inauguration before parliament took place today). Major international focus on the stance of the Raisi administration towards shipping in the Gulf (and crucially around the Strait of Hormuz), the Iran nuclear deal, and Iran's various proxies in regional conflicts across the Middle East.
• Should be noted that the Israeli gov't of PM Naftali Bennett - in office for less that two months - is keen to display its hardline credentials on Iran. Former PM Benjamin Netanyahu has criticised the Bennett gov't for being a risk to national security that will be soft on Tehran's activities.
• At present the most likely action against Tehran remains cyber attacks from Israel or its Western partners, but this could escalate swiftly given the heightened regional tensions.