Source: Iran, Hezbollah Weighed Preemptive Strike on Israel

Israeli defense sources said Monday that both Iran and Hezbollah had seriously considered launching preemptive attacks against Israel before the current war began.

While concerns about a possible Iranian surprise strike had been reported previously, officials said this is the first time Israeli sources have indicated that Hezbollah may also have been weighing such a move.

According to the sources, Hezbollah had gone as far as ordering around 1,000 fighters from its Radwan special forces unit to move south toward the Israeli border in preparation for a potential operation.

The group was said to be increasingly frustrated by ongoing Israeli strikes following the fall 2024 ceasefire, even though those attacks were more limited than earlier phases of fighting or the current campaign.

Officials suggested that any potential Hezbollah preemptive action may not have been a full-scale invasion of northern Israel, but rather a coordinated assault targeting IDF forces near the border, combined with rocket fire on both military positions and nearby Israeli communities.

The sources said the timing of the current war disrupted those plans. Once Israel and the United States launched large-scale strikes on Iran, Hezbollah lost the element of surprise and was forced to reassess its strategy.

As a result, it took more than two days for Hezbollah to join the fighting, despite earlier indications it had been preparing for a possible offensive.

Even so, officials acknowledged uncertainty over whether Hezbollah would have ultimately carried out a preemptive strike or whether the plans would have remained theoretical.