The United States believes Iran could launch a “series of significant attacks” against Israel “this week,” White House spokesman John Kirby said yesterday, noting that the issue was raised yesterday during a remote meeting between President Joe Biden and his French, German, Italian and British counterparts.
Kirby said Washington shares Israel’s assessment that the Iranian strike will take place this week. He also told a news conference that the timing of the attack will affect peace talks on Gaza, which are scheduled to resume next Thursday. All those involved must appear at the talks, he said. Israeli negotiators are expected to do so, while Hamas has declined to attend. Egypt, one of the mediators along with Qatar and the US itself, believes Israel is not really interested in a hostage swap with Hamas.
Macron, Scholz and Starmer call on Iran to “avoid further attacks that could lead to a new escalation”
In this context, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stressed in a joint statement that “the fighting must cease immediately and all hostages still held by Hamas must be released,” calling for the “immediate resumption of negotiations.” Thus, in their statement, they called on Iran “to avoid new attacks that would provoke a further escalation of tensions and jeopardize the opportunity to agree a ceasefire.” “Iran will bear responsibility for actions that jeopardize this opportunity for peace, and no country will benefit from further escalation.”
The United States has prepared for what could be significant attacks by Iran or its allies in the Middle East (read Hezbollah from Lebanon or the Houthis from Yemen), John Kirby recalled yesterday. Thus, the head of the Pentagon has ordered the deployment of the submarine to the region USS Georgiaequipped with guided missiles. The order came amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran following the Israeli assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and Hezbollah military chief Fuad Shukr in Beirut.
Lloyd Austin also commanded the carrier strike group USS Abraham Lincoln equipped with F-35C fighters, to accelerate its transit to the area of responsibility of the US Central Command, which will add to the response capacity that the aircraft carrier already provides. USS Theodore Roosevelt .
