The war in the Middle East is on the way to escalation, as according to what the international news agencies are reporting, Iran is preparing to attack Israel, in retaliation for the blow attributed to it against the Iranian embassy in Damascus, where they had lost their lives the officials of the Revolutionary Guards.
Specifically, according to a Wall Street Journal source, Israel is preparing for a direct attack by Iran on southern or northern Israel as soon as possible, specifically in the next 24 to 48 hours. On the other hand, the Iranian leadership makes it clear that no final decision has been made on the attack, although several scenarios are being discussed.
The attack on the Iranian embassy in Damascus
It is recalled that Iran has publicly threatened to retaliate for the attack on its embassy last week in Damascus, Syria, which Tehran attributed to an Israeli airstrike. The strike killed top Iranian military personnel, including a senior member of the elite Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
At the same time, the reports of the American secret services of the last few days indicate that the attack of Iran in the next period within the borders of Israel is highly possible.
Retaliation within days from Iran
A U.S. official familiar with the matter told the WSJ on Thursday that U.S. intelligence points to Iranian retaliation within days, “possibly on Israeli soil.”
Also Thursday, the US embassy in Israel said US government employees and their family members would be restricted from traveling outside of central Israel, Jerusalem and Beersheba until further notice.
Meanwhile, General Michael Eric Kurila, commander of the US Central Command, which is responsible for military operations in the Middle East, has been in Israel since Thursday.
Netanyahu: “Whoever harms us, we will harm him”
At the same time, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised to respond immediately to any attack on Israel. “Whoever harms us, we will harm him. We are ready to meet all the security needs of the State of Israel, both defensively and offensively,” he emphasized.
For his part, John Kirby, the White House national security spokesman, told reporters that the prospect of an Iranian attack on Israel is “still a viable threat,” despite concerted efforts by Israel and the US to prevent it.
“We are in constant communication with our Israeli counterparts to ensure they can defend themselves against this type of attack,” Kirby added.
He also confirmed that the head of the US Central Command, General Erik Kurilla, is in Israel and talking to Israeli defense officials about how Israel can best prepare for the possibility of such an attack. “It is also possible that Kurila will be there to influence and moderate any Israeli response. The Biden administration is very concerned about the possibility of an out-of-control escalation,” the Guardian reports.
Diplomatic pressure on Iran to avoid escalation
At the same time, on the diplomatic chessboard, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken spoke with the foreign ministers of Turkey, China and Saudi Arabia, suggesting they pressure Iran not to escalate the conflict in the Middle East, according to the spokesman. of the State Department, Matthew Miller.
Miller added that the US has also “engaged with European allies and partners in recent days” to send a similar message to Iran. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and British Foreign Secretary David Cameron have also spoken with the Iranian foreign minister in recent days.
Blinken “has made it clear to every country that has some form of relationship with Iran that it is in their interest to use that relationship to pressure Iran not to escalate the conflict in the Middle East. But I’ll let those countries speak for themselves about what actions they may or may not take,” Miller said.
In addition, the US State Department restricted travel by diplomatic personnel to Israel following the latest developments. More specifically, the US Embassy in Israel announced that its personnel have been told not to travel outside the greater Jerusalem, Tel Aviv or Beersheba area.
France has advised its citizens to “absolutely refrain” from traveling to Iran, Lebanon, Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories due to the risk of “military escalation”, the French foreign ministry said on Friday.
The ministry added that families of diplomatic staff in the Iranian capital Tehran would be returned to France and civil servants would be barred from work missions to those countries and territories.
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