Senior US officials are preparing for the possibility of a strike on Iran in coming days, according to people familiar with the matter, as Israel and the Islamic Republic continue to exchange fire.

Some of them pointed to potential plans for a weekend strike. Top leaders at a handful of federal agencies have begun getting ready for an attack, one person said.

A missile from Iran on Thursday struck an Israeli hospital for the first time since the war started almost a week ago, a reminder of the risks to civilians in both countries. Israel’s Health Ministry said there were a number of light injuries in the incident at Soroka Medical Centre in the south of the country.

Israel will exact “the full price” from Iranian administration for the strike, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.

US President Donald Trump has for days publicly mused about joining Israel’s strikes on Iran, a move that would escalate the conflict in the oil-rich Middle East. The situation is evolving and could change, said the people, who requested anonymity to discuss private talks.

Israel said it would escalate attacks on Iranian strategic and government targets, “in order to remove threats to the State of Israel and undermine the Iranian regime,” Defence Minister Israel Katz said.

“Khamenei will be held accountable,” he added, directly naming the Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.