Israel's defence chief has confirmed his forces are carrying out increased special operations beyond the country's borders.
In an interview to be published on Wednesday to mark the eve of Israel's independence day, Lieutenant General Benny Gantz also says Israel is ready to attack Iran's nuclear sites if ordered to do so.
"We think that a nuclear Iran is a very bad thing, which the world needs to stop and which Israel needs to stop - and we are planning accordingly," he said.
"In principle, we are ready to act."
But General Gantz says that does not mean he is about to order the air force to strike.
He says 2012 will be a critical year in efforts to halt what Israel and much of the international community believe is an Iranian nuclear arms program.
The United States says it does not believe Iran has so far taken a decision to develop a nuclear weapon or that the time is right for military action, preferring to give international sanctions time to work.
But Israel, which sees a nuclear Iran as a threat to its existence, claims Tehran may be on the cusp of "breakout" capability - when it could quickly build a nuclear weapon - and it does not rule out staging a pre-emptive strike.
General Gantz said he had increased the number of covert Israeli operations in other countries, but gave no details.
"I do not think you will find a point in time where there is not something happening, somewhere in the world," he said.
"The threat level is also higher.
"I'm not taking the credit," he added.
"I'm just accelerating all those special operations."
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