Iranian Threat Against Israel: Washington Expects Massive Attacks – Updates, Reactions, and Potential Escalation

2024-04-10 22:30:00
Several media outlets in the United States affirmed this Wednesday, April 10, that Washington expects to see Tehran very soon carry out “massive attacks” against Israel. An offensive to which the Jewish state promises to “respond” if it takes place.

Seen from Washington, the threat is growing. According to the Bloomberg agency, citing people “close to” American intelligence, it would be increasingly likely that Iran or its allies would carry out a “massive attack” on Israel. The article mentions strikes that could be carried out in the next few days: it would no longer be “a question of knowing if, but when” this attack will take place, according to an anonymous Bloomberg source.

Confirming these American fears, the media Axios reveals that the head of the United States Central Command (Centcom) in charge of operations in the Middle East, General Erik Kurilla, is expected in Israel on Thursday April 11. He would come to meet with the local general staff and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, in order to coordinate the response to a possible imminent offensive by Iran against targets in Israel, carried out with drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles. Such an attack would be unprecedented.

Also according to Axios, the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq and Qatar spoke on the telephone with their Iranian counterpart about tensions in the region, and urged Tehran to act in the meaning of de-escalation. This call would follow a direct request from the White House.

“If Iran attacks, Israel will respond”

Much feared since October 7, the regional conflagration between Israel and its neighbors has so far never occurred, even though tensions and exchanges of fire are daily with Lebanon. But since April 1, the probability of an escalation has gone up a notch, the fault of an Israeli raid against the Iranian consulate in Damascus. 14 people were killed, including two military leaders of the Revolutionary Guards.

Tehran immediately promised retaliation. “We will make him regret this crime and the others,” reacted the Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a press release, offering his condolences to the relatives of the victims. This Wednesday, he reiterated his wish to strike Israel: “When they attacked our consulate area, it was as if they had attacked our territory. This evil regime must and will be punished,” Khamenei said, in remarks broadcast by Iranian state television.

“This crime will not pass without the enemy being punished”, threatened the Lebanese Hezbollah, invoking a “revenge” to come. Israel did not explicitly acknowledge being behind this attack, but reacted to Iranian threats through Foreign Minister Israel Katz, asserting in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that “if Iran attack from its territory, Israel will respond and strike in Iran.”

“Israeli government and military installations” in the viewfinder?

According to Bloomberg, faced with the possibility of an Iranian offensive, “Israel’s Western allies were informed that Israeli government and military installations could be targeted, but that civilian installations should not be targeted.” be”. Foreign diplomats are reportedly developing contingency plans to respond to this eventuality. Israel also reportedly “indicated to its allies that it was waiting for this attack to take place before launching a new ground offensive against Hamas in Rafah.”

Speaking to the press on Wednesday afternoon from the White House, Joe Biden said he took these threats from Tehran “of a significant attack against Israel” seriously. He thus recalled that the United States would do “everything possible to protect the security of Israel”, and said he assured Benjamin Netanyahu that the American commitment to this effect remained “unshakeable in the face of threats from Iran and its relays”.

A few hours later, his head of diplomacy Antony Blinken spoke with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, reiterating these same guarantees during a conversation on the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the state of current negotiations around an “immediate ceasefire” agreement in order to obtain “the release of all hostages” still detained since the attack of October 7.

Updated at 00:10 a.m. with the revelations from Axios, the reaction of Minister Israel Katz and the details of Joe Biden’s statements.

Updated at 2:50 a.m. with the conversation between Antony Blinken and Yoav Gallant.

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