The US has restricted travel for embassy staff in Israel. France calls on its citizens not to go to Lebanon, Israel or Palestine under any circumstances. Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with the war cabinet to discuss Israel’s preparedness in the event of an attack. Iran may strike within a day or two, some American media report. Bloomberg reported that the question should not be “if?”, but “when?” The world is looking towards the Middle East with great concern.
Illustrative photo /TRINITI LERSCH/AFP /East News
Iran accused Israel of carrying out an attack on the consulate in Damascus on April 1. Important Iranian officials were killed in an attack in the Syrian capital. The Revolutionary Guard Corps reported that the deaths included: the head of Iran’s elite Quds unit in Syria, Lebanon and Palestinian lands, Mohammad Reza Zahedi, and his deputy, Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi.
Tehran vowed revenge.
General Michael Erik Kurilla, a member of the US Central Command, arrived in Israel on Thursday to hold consultations with the country’s defense ministry in the face of the threat of a “direct” Iranian attack.
CBS News reported that U.S. officials expected the strike to take place on Friday. Tel-Aviv is preparing for the worst-case scenario. According to US officials, over 100 drones and dozens of missiles are expected to be aimed at Israeli military facilities. Washington says that even for Israel, such an attack would be a challenge. Iranians are said to be considering a smaller-scale strike to avoid a dramatic escalation. If Tehran decides to attack, Israel’s war with Hamas could develop into a broader regional conflict.
The US State Department has warned citizens of the country in Israel not to travel outside major urban centers. CBS News reports that US officials’ travel to Israel is to be significantly restricted.
A similar announcement was published by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Stephane Sejourne, issued an appeal on Friday in which he “categorically advises against” compatriots traveling to Iran, Lebanon, Israel and the Palestinian territories. Sejourne also reportedly called for the return of diplomats and their families from their missions in Tehran.
Any direct attack by Iran on Israel will trigger a proportional response from Israel, Israeli Defense Minister Joaw Galant said on Thursday during a conversation with Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin.
Earlier on Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke in a similar tone when he visited the F-15 aircraft base in Tel Nof in the south of his country and, speaking to the pilots, referred to the threats made by Iranian leader Ali Khamenei. “Israel must be punished,” Khamenei said.
We adopted a simple rule: we will hit anyone who hits us. We are ready to meet all the security needs of the State of Israel, both defensively and offensively, said the head of the Israeli government.
Israel did not admit to the attack on the Damascus outpost, but it did not deny it either. This is standard Tel-Aviv policy in the Middle East.
The Iranians were to tell interlocutors from Arab countries that – in their opinion – the US is co-responsible for the shelling of the Iranian consulate in the capital of Syria, Damascus, by Israel in early April. Tehran has threatened that if Washington participates in the Iran-Israel conflict, United States military bases in the Middle East will be attacked, the Axios website reported.
The website’s sources, who wished to remain anonymous, admitted that they did not know whether Iran would consider US “involvement” as the direct participation of American forces in possible Israeli retaliation, or also – for example – Israel’s support in intercepting Iranian missiles. As emphasized, the intelligence services in Washington, however, tend to favor the first of these versions.
Americans are not waiting for Iran to make the first move. The aircraft carrier USS Dwight Eisenhower sailed towards Israel through the Red Sea in order to deter Tehran’s ambitions. The ship will also be able to intercept missiles and drones launched by Iran.
