The Wall Street Journal revealed today, Monday, that Israel has intensified its operations against Iran's nuclear and missile facilities and drone programs, while Israel announced that it is building an air defense coalition led by the United States.

The American newspaper said that Israel escalated its campaign of attacks by using small drones to strike Iranian nuclear facilities.

She added that the recent Israeli attacks on Iran are part of a new strategy called the "octopus doctrine".

She added that the strategy of Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett aims to transfer the battle against Tehran to Iranian territory.

The newspaper pointed out that Israel has launched more than 400 raids against Iran and its allies in Syria since 2017.

During the past years, Iranian nuclear facilities - including the Natanz facility - and others for military industrialization were subjected to accidents that Tehran accused Tel Aviv of being behind, and accused it of assassinating a number of Iranian scientists in its nuclear and missile programs.

Training on a US Patriot missile battery at the UAE base Al Dhafra (Reuters)

air defense alliance

Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz announced today that they are in the process of building an air defense alliance in the Middle East, led by the United States, to counter what he called the threats of Iran and other countries in the region.

Gantz said that Israel has recorded several successes in recent months in "harnessing the world to fight Iran," including keeping the Iranian Revolutionary Guards on the list of "terrorist organizations" and leaving files open to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

He added that they had also made progress with the US Department of Defense (the Pentagon) on the regional cooperation program, and Gantz expressed his hope that this file would make progress with US President Joe Biden's visit to the Middle East next month.

The Israeli Defense Minister also confirmed that Tel Aviv had prepared "very strong" reactions and would activate them in multiple places if necessary.

In Tehran, Iranian Armed Forces spokesman Abu al-Fadl Shukrji said today that the actions of Israel and some Gulf countries stem from the "desperation and inability of the Zionist entity."

Shukrji added that the flight of American B-52 planes accompanied by Israeli fighters is just a show.

And the Iranian military spokesman warned that any strategic mistake committed by the United States would be met with a strong response, more dangerous than what it had previously received, as he put it.

And on Saturday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian made a phone call with his Emirati counterpart Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Abdallahian said that Israel's presence in the region destabilizes security, while his Emirati counterpart stressed that his country would not allow any party to launch from it against neighboring countries.

Gantz urges Iran not to target Israelis (Getty Images)

great reply

On another issue, Gantz said today that any harm to the Israelis will lead to a major response in different places and in different ways.

And Gantz added - during his questioning before the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Security Committee regarding possible Iranian threats to Israeli targets in Turkey - that Israel is communicating with the relevant Turkish institutions regarding Iranian threats against the Israelis.

In an interview with Israel's Channel 12, Gantz stated that he is suggesting to the Iranians not to take any step in this regard.

Meanwhile, the office of Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said that he intends to go to Turkey next Thursday, where he will meet his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu, who visited Tel Aviv last month.

And Israeli media reported that the visit would deal with security cooperation with Ankara in thwarting attacks that were planning to target Israeli tourists in Turkey.

For his part, the Israeli prime minister said that he is working hard to meet with every US senator, member of the US Congress, and every influential person in the United States, with the aim of increasing political pressure on Tehran and strengthening Israel's position.

Bennett added - in a tweet on Twitter after a meeting with a delegation of former American officers at the Jewish Institute for American National Security - that Israel will continue this battle, in reference to its moves against Iran.