‘Israel’ carries out drill simulating Iranian missile attack: Hebrew media

• ‘Israel's’ Home Front Command held a massive drill simulating Iranian ballistic missile strikes on residential and strategic sites, testing the Arrow and Iron Dome defense systems alongside civilian emergency response times.
• While the military drill signals high readiness for potential escalation, it occurs simultaneously with US and regional efforts to broker a high-level diplomatic meeting in Ankara to avert a full-scale conflict with Tehran.

The “Home Front Command” of the ‘Israeli’ army conducted a large-scale field exercise on Sunday simulating a scenario involving the launch of ballistic missiles from Iran toward residential areas and strategic facilities.

Military sources told Hebrew media that the drill was aimed at enhancing preparedness to confront long-range threats, amid heightened anticipation and rising regional tensions with Tehran, which have recently seen an exchange of military threats.

• Testing air defense systems and shelter readiness
• The exercise included a comprehensive test of multilayered air defense systems, foremost among them the Arrow system, designed to intercept missiles outside the atmosphere, and the Iron Dome, tasked with dealing with shrapnel.
• The simulation also focused on several key aspects, including:
• Activating air-raid sirens across wide geographic areas to measure the speed of civilian response.
• Directing civilians to shelters and fortified rooms (Mamad) within designated timeframes.
• Coordinating emergency medical and rescue operations at hypothetical “impact” sites to minimize casualties.
• Managing the consequences of missiles that defenses fail to intercept.

The drill comes amid intelligence reports indicating heightened alert levels in anticipation of a possible escalation with Iran, following recent maneuvers conducted by Tehran in the Strait of Hormuz.

While the Home Front Command stressed that such exercises are conducted routinely and do not signal an immediate change in emergency instructions, the timing reflects the seriousness with which the possibility of direct confrontation is being addressed.

The United States conveyed to Iran its willingness to engage in direct negotiations aimed at averting a potential regional conflict, according to senior US officials cited by Axios earlier today.

This development comes as mediators from Turkey, Egypt, and Qatar work behind the scenes to facilitate a high-level meeting in Ankara later this week.

The proposed talks would involve White House envoy Steve Witkoff and senior Iranian officials, building on the trio of nations' recent work in brokering a Gaza ceasefire.

US officials emphasized that President Trump has not yet finalized any decision on military action against Iran, leaving the door open for a peaceful resolution.

"We've told Iran through multiple channels that we're open to meeting and negotiating a deal," a senior U.S. official stated to Axios.

However, doubts linger about whether Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will empower his negotiators to strike a viable agreement.

The urgency of these efforts is underscored by Trump's recent orders for a substantial military buildup in the Gulf region, raising the stakes for both sides.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described the mediation by "friendly countries" as "fruitful," adding that he sees potential for dialogue if the US commits to a "fair and equitable deal" ensuring no nuclear weapons.

Progress appears to be gaining momentum, with Iran's Ali Larijani noting on X that the "formation of a framework for negotiations is progressing."