Live: Israel says it will defend itself if Iran responds to attack on its consulate Israel’s military said Thursday it is prepared to defend itself and strike back if Iran retaliates for a deadly air strike on the Iranian consulate in Syria. Tehran holds Israel responsible for the attack earlier this month, which the US military believes Israel carried out and Israel has not commented on. The increased tensions have sparked international concern that Israel's devastating war against Hamas in Gaza could spill over into the rest of the Middle East. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.