Iran ‘preparing for war’ as Israel strike ‘delayed’ by leak of plans

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has ordered the military to devise multiple plans in the event of an attack from Jerusalem, amid reports the leak of top secret documents has forced Israel to develop an alternative strike plan.

A Thaad interceptor is launched during a successful intercept test. Picture: Reuters.

Iran is reportedly preparing for war with Israel, with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei ordering the military to devise multiple plans in the event of an attack from Jerusalem.

Iranian officials told The New York Times that the severity of their respond would depend on what or whom Israel targeted. Any attack on oil or nuclear sites, or on a senior official would be met with major retaliation, including a barrage of up to 1000 missiles, the NYT reported.

Other responses could include escalated attacks by Iranian proxy militant groups in the region and disrupting the flow of global energy supplies and shipping moving through the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, officials told the newspaper.

If, however, Israel’s attacks were limited to low level military bases, Iran might do nothing in response the paper said.

It came as Israel was forced to deny reports that it delayed its retaliatory strike against Iran because of a leak of potentially sensitive military information from the United States last week.

The leak of a top secret document, published on a pro-Iranian Telegram channel last Friday, revealed Israel’s plans to respond to Iran’s missile barrage earlier this month.

The document revealed Israel’s military sites and assets, making reference to two Israeli air-launched ballistic missiles.

The London Times reported that Israel was concerned the leak would help Iran predict certain attack patterns and was forced to develop an alternative plan that would require war gaming before an attack was launched.

“The leak of the American documents delayed the attack due to the need to change certain strategies and components,” an intelligence source told the newspaper. “There will be a retaliation, but it has taken longer than it was supposed to take.”

However Israel’s Army Radio reports that the military denied the leak caused any delay to its attack plans.

“There’s no connection between the leaking of the documents from the Pentagon and the choice of timing for the attack on Iran,” a security source told Army Radio.

The official said no final date had been set for Israel’s retaliatory strike on Iran.

“We will choose the appropriate date according to operational opportunities,” the official said.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps chief Hossein Salami warned that the advanced THAAD missile defence system recently stationed in Israel would not defend the country against any attack from Tehran.

“Just as the Arrow anti-missile systems did not work during Operation True Promise 2, the THAAD systems will not work either. Do not rely on THAAD, they have limited capabilities,” Mr Salami told Russia’s TASS news agency.

Israeli Prime Minister Bnejamin Netanyahu has assured Washington that any strike will target military assets, rather than oil or nuclear sites as has been feared.

It is thought that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its Basij paramilitary force of volunteers, are likely targets.

Yoav Gallant, the Israeli defence minister, visited an air base on Wednesday, telling pilots and air crew: “After we strike in Iran, everyone will understand what you did in the preparation and training process.”

The Pentagon has denied reports that an employee of Iranian heritage, Ariane Tabatabai, chief of staff of the assistant secretary of defence for special operations, is the main suspect of the investigation into the leak of classified documents.