Iran could attack Israel within next 24-48 hours, US intel warns as Israel braces for tense weekend
US threatens to join Israel in retaliation if Iran escalates
Iran is preparing to attack Israel from its territory on Friday or Saturday but has not yet made a final decision, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday evening, as Israel braces for retaliation for an alleged Israeli strike that killed seven Iranian officers almost two weeks ago.
Amid a diplomatic offensive by the United States to prevent an escalation into an all-out regional war, Reuters reported that Iran transmitted a message through the country of Oman, indicating it would respond through its regional proxies to prevent a major escalation.
An American source told the Arabic newspaper al-Arabiya that the U.S. would join forces with Israel if Iran retaliated with a “disproportionate response,” such as a missile or drone attack launched from Iranian territory directly against Israel.
“The projection of close U.S.-Israel military cooperation and the determination to respond forcefully to Iranian threats were missing ingredients just 48 hours ago,” commented Richard Goldberg, senior advisor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD).
“The president’s remarks yesterday and Gen. Kurilla’s visit today are critical resets in the political environment that Tehran must now factor into its calculus,” Goldberg added.
In recent days, Iranian social media channels affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have been awash with propaganda videos showing simulations of drone or missile attacks against Israeli facilities, including the alleged nuclear facility in the southern town of Dimona.
IRGC and Syrian advisors told the WSJ that Iran delivered more drones to its proxies in Syria and Iraq to prepare them for possibly taking part in an attack on Israel.
According to the WSJ, an informed U.S. official said Iran could attack Israel directly rather than an attack on Israeli embassies around the world. Many embassies have taken additional security measures in anticipation of such an attack.
The U.S. also said its diplomatic personnel in Israel were barred from traveling outside the areas of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Beersheva “out of an abundance of caution.”
Iran could also attack targets in disputed Israeli territories in the Golan Heights or the Gaza Strip to be able to claim not to have attacked Israeli sovereign territory, the report added.
In the past few days, “several regional and European ministers” have called on Iran to exercise restraint to avoid a potential escalation in the region.
On Thursday, the commander of the U.S. forces in the Middle East, CENTCOM's General Erik Kurilla, arrived in Israel to coordinate possible responses to an Iranian strike. He also met with IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
“A weak response to Iranian aggression would simply invite more of the same and risk more American or Israeli casualties. A review of history demonstrates that Tehran tends to back down when confronted with the resolute application of American military power,” FDD’s Bradley Bowman said.
On Thursday, Gallant called his colleague, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, for the second time this week. They reportedly discussed preparations for an Iranian attack, with Gallant emphasizing that the State of Israel would not tolerate an Iranian attack on its territory.
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The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
