Yuval Azoulai (Calcalist) and Yossi Yehoshua report that each time Trump backs down from his threats against Iran, the IDF and defense establishment are forced into immediate readiness at a cost of hundreds of millions of shekels, straining the defense budget and reserve forces.
The analysis, published Tuesday morning by Calcalist's Yuval Azoulai and Yossi Yehoshua, argues that President Trump's pattern of issuing — and then retreating from — ultimatums against Iran has a direct and costly impact on Israel's defense posture. According to the report, each such cycle forces the Israel Defense Forces and the broader defense establishment into immediate high-readiness status, at a cost of hundreds of millions of shekels per call-up.
The cumulative effect, the analysts write, is a heavy burden on Israel's already strained defense budget, continued attrition of active forces across multiple fronts, and an increasing toll on reserve soldiers and their families. The critique reflects a recurring concern in Israeli defense circles: that US policy volatility, rather than stabilizing the region, imposes unpredictable operational costs on Israel.
The assessment comes amid the broader US-Iran military confrontation that has escalated since June. As The Zioneer has previously reported, President Trump has threatened 'very hard' daily strikes on Iran, warned of '20 times the force' retaliation, and stated that the US may be forced to 'militarily complete the job.' The cost of maintaining readiness against potential Iranian retaliation has been a persistent theme in Israeli defense planning, with reserve duty and budget allocations under constant pressure.
- StrongIsraeli Defense Officials Say US, IDF on High Alert; Aggressive Strike Postponed
- DevelopingSenior Israeli official says forces were at peak readiness for Iran strike before Trump call
- StrongTrump Says US Military on Alert Regarding Iran
- DevelopingIran's army on full alert after Trump threat, state media reports
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