Israel on edge for Iranian retaliation after embassy strike

Israel on Friday braced for an attack by Iran or its proxies as warnings grew of retaliation for the killing last week of a senior officer in Iran's embassy in Damascus.

Israel on Friday braced for an attack by Iran or its proxies as warnings grew of retaliation for the killing last week of a senior officer in Iran's embassy in Damascus.

Countries including India, France, Poland and Russia have warned their citizens against travel to the region, already on edge over the war in Gaza, now in its seventh month. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the threat from Iran was real and viable.

The Israeli military said it had not issued fresh instructions to civilians, but asked people to remain vigilant.

"Over the past day, the military has conducted a situational assessment and approved plans for a range of scenarios following reports and statements on an Iranian attack," chief military spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a televised statement on Friday.

Israel's foreign ministry did not comment on reports that some Israeli diplomatic missions had been partially evacuated and security stepped up.

"The revenge will come," wrote Israel's largest daily newspaper, Yedioth Ahronoth. "For the moment, the premise is that it will be very soon, in the next few days."

Israel did not claim responsibility for the airstrike on April 1 that killed Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a senior commander in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps' overseas Quds Force, and six other officers as they attended a meeting in the Damascus embassy compound.