Israel expects Iran to launch a direct attack against Israeli interests in the next 48 hours, in response to the bombing of the Iranian consulate last week in Syria, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing its sources.
US intelligence reports indicate an Iranian retaliatory attack within days, “possibly on Israeli soil,” a US official said.
Earlier this week, the Persian country’s Revolutionary Guard contacted Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Hossein Khamenei with several options for attacking Israeli interests, an adviser to the paramilitary force said. Scenarios include a direct attack on Israel with sophisticated medium-range missiles, he added.
But Khamenei worries that a direct attack could backfire, as the projectiles would be intercepted and Israel would respond with massive retaliation against Iran’s strategic infrastructure. “The attack plans are before the Supreme Leader and he is still weighing the political risk,” the adviser said.
Likewise, the US Embassy in Israel announced on Thursday that US government employees and their families are prohibited from any personal travel outside of central Israel, Jerusalem and Beersheba until further notice.
In recent hours, according to WSJ, social media accounts close to the Revolutionary Guard have posted videos showing simulated missile attacks against Israel’s Haifa airport and its nuclear facility in Dimona. An Iranian official once stated that Iran would attack Israel’s power and desalination plants if attacked.
Tel Aviv response
For his part, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised on Thursday to respond directly against any attack on Israel.
«Whoever harms us, we will harm him. “We are prepared to meet all the security needs of the State of Israel, both defensively and offensively,” he said.
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