"Iran will bear consequences for choosing to escalate situation any further": Israel

He made the remarks in an English-language video statement. Hagari's statement comes after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy seized an Israel-linked container ship near the Strait of Hormuz.

Hagari did not speak about this incident, indicating that the video was captured before. However, he said, "Iran funds, trains and arms terror proxies across the Middle East and beyond."

In the video statement, IDF spokesperson Hagari stated that Iran-backed Hezbollah expanded this war on October 8. He added that Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria and Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen have expanded this into a global conflict, The Times of Israel reported.

Daniel Hagari said, "Iran-backed Hamas started this war on October 7th; Iran-backed Hezbollah expanded this war on October 8th; and since then, Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria, and Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, have expanded this into a global conflict."

He accused Iran of being the biggest state sponsor of terror. Hagari said, "Iran is the world's biggest state sponsor of terror. Its network of terror doesn't just threaten the people of Israel, Gaza, Lebanon and Syria; the regime in Iran fuels the war in Ukraine and beyond."

He said that Israel has increased its readiness to protect itself from further Iranian aggression. He announced that the IDF is prepared for all scenarios and will take necessary measures to protect the people of Israel.

He asserted, "Iran will bear the consequences for choosing to escalate the situation any further." He stated, "Israel is on high alert. We have increased our readiness to protect Israel from further Iranian aggression. We are also prepared to respond."

"The Israel Defense Forces is prepared for all scenarios and will take the necessary steps together with our allies to protect the people of Israel," he added.

Meanwhile, Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz said Tehran is carrying out piracy and called for sanctioning Iran. Katz made the remarks after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps seized an Israeli-linked cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, The Times of Israel reported.

Katz said, "The Ayatollah regime of Khamenei is a criminal regime that supports Hamas' crimes and is now conducting a pirate operation in violation of international law." He called on the European Union and the international community to declare IRGC a "terrorist organisation."

Israel's Foreign Minister said, "I call on the European Union and the free world to immediately declare the Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps as a terrorist organization and to sanction Iran now."

Earlier, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy seized the Israel-linked MSC ARIES container ship near the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, The Times of Israel reported, citing an Iranian news agency.

The ship in question was the Portuguese-flagged MSC Aries, a container ship owned by Zodiac Maritime, based in London. Zodiac Maritime is a division of Zodiac Group, owned by Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer.

The MSC Aries was last seen on Friday, sailing towards the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Dubai, according to The Times of Israel. The ship is currently sailing through the Persian Gulf, according to ship tracking site, Marine Traffic.

Tensions escalated between Iran and the West amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. Amid fears of the ongoing hostilities in Gaza devolving into a larger Middle-Eastern conflict, US President Joe Biden said earlier today that he expects Iran to attack Israel 'sooner than later'.

"I don't want to get into secure information but my expectation is sooner than later," Biden told reporters when asked how imminent an Iranian attack on Israel would be.

Iran has vowed revenge after Israel launched airstrikes on the Iranian embassy in the Syrian capital, Damascus. The US has been on high alert for a significant Iranian retaliatory attack on Israel in recent days, as fears grow of a wider regional war.

There remains a "real, credible and viable" threat of Iran launching strikes, the White House said on Friday, following Israel's attack on an Iranian diplomatic compound in Syria last week, killing three Iranian generals.

Biden, who warned this week that Iran was threatening a 'significant attack' on Israel, has been receiving constant updates on the situation from his national security team. The US and several other countries, including India, Britain and France, issued new travel guidelines for government employees in Israel as the Iranian threat loomed. (ANI)