US President Joe Biden says he expects Iran to attack Israel “sooner rather than later” as anxieties rise about Iranian vengeance for an air strike that killed key commanders earlier this month.
Israel has not confessed to striking an Iranian consulate in Syria, but it is widely considered to be responsible.
US authorities have informed CBS News, the BBC’s US partner, that a significant strike on Israel might occur soon.
Israel says it is prepared to defend itself. Mr. Biden advised Iran, “Don’t.”
“We are dedicated to the defense of Israel. “We will support Israel,” Mr. Biden stated. “We will help defend Israel, and Iran will not succeed.”
Iran supports Hamas, the Palestinian group battling Israel in Gaza, as well as several proxy groups around the region, notably Hezbollah in Lebanon, which routinely attacks Israel.
On Friday, Hezbollah announced that it had launched “dozens” of missiles from Lebanon toward Israel. An Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokeswoman confirmed that around 40 missiles and two explosive drones had been launched. There were no injuries recorded, and there was no evidence of involvement by other actors.
A US official informed CBS that the onslaught was unrelated to any impending Iranian strike on Israel.
According to BBC Security Correspondent Frank Gardner, Iran purposely keeps the Middle East and Washington guessing.
Iran’s security establishment has been considering its reaction since the devastating April 1 raid on the Damascus embassy facility, which Israel claims Iran was using to send clandestine weaponry supplies to Iranian allies in Lebanon and Syria.
It’s all about calibrating. Hit too hard, and Israel will answer with deadly force. If Iran takes things too lightly, it risks being perceived as weak and ineffectual. From a tactical standpoint, it makes no sense for Iran to retaliate now, when the region is on high alert and the US has been warning the world what to anticipate.
Pragmatists in Tehran and Qom will call for prudence, while hawks, notably the aging Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, will want a strong reaction.
However, neither Iran nor its Arab neighbours desire a full-scale conflict. Governments in those countries have previously encouraged Iran to exercise caution.
As tensions rise, countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, India, and Australia have issued travel warnings to Israel. Germany urged its nationals to leave Iran.
The US State Department also prohibited diplomatic officials and their families in Israel from traveling outside of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Beersheba.
Following the warnings, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with members of his war cabinet.
Some Israelis indicated they were not concerned about a possible Iranian strike.
“We know that we are surrounded by enemies from the south, north, east, and west,” Daniel Kosman told AFP at a Jerusalem market. “We are not frightened, I assure you. Look around; folks are going out.
The Israeli government has not released any fresh advice to its citizens beyond the previous recommendation to stock up on water, food for three days, and vital medicine.
However, Israeli radio stated that local officials had been instructed to prepare for the likelihood of an attack, including examining the preparedness of public shelters.
Last week, the Israeli military cancelled combat troops’ home leave, strengthened air defenses, and activated reservists.
Thirteen people were killed in the April 1 missile assault on the Iranian embassy in Damascus.
They included key Iranian military commanders, including Brig Gen Mohammad Reza Zahedi, head of Iran’s elite Quds Force in Syria and Lebanon.
Israel has not spoken, although it is largely assumed to have carried out the strike.
Officials in various nations have been attempting to persuade Iran not to launch a strike, fearing it might trigger a larger regional war.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has spoken with the foreign ministers of China, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey in an effort to persuade them to use their influence with Iran.
After meeting with the head of US Central Command on Friday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated that the danger had reinforced the tie between the two nations, adding that “we will know how to respond.”.
The war in Gaza began when Hamas assaulted Israeli villages near the Gaza Strip, killing over 1,200 people, the majority of whom were civilians, and kidnapping more than 250. Israel claims that at least 34 of the 130 captives currently held in Gaza have died.
More than 33,600 Gazans, the bulk of whom are civilians, have been killed during Israel’s war in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
During the battle, Israel has traded nearly daily fire with Hezbollah across its northern border, while Iran-backed forces in Iraq and Yemen have sought to attack Israeli territory as well as US positions in Iraq and Syria.
Yemen’s Houthi movement has also assaulted commerce in the Red Sea, sinking at least one ship and forcing the US and UK to launch air operations against Houthi targets in Yemen.
