Nearly four months after Iran’s unprecedented missile attack on Israel on April 13, Jerusalem and Washington are bracing for another assault from Tehran and its allies, in retaliation for the recent assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh.
According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, the United States has begun deploying additional warships and fighter jets to the Middle East to protect US personnel and defend Israel. The Pentagon is also arranging for additional ballistic missile defense-capable cruisers and destroyers, AP reported.
The Biden administration is convinced that Iran will attack Israel as soon as this weekend. US officials fear the upcoming attack could be broader and more complex than the April 13 incident, which was in response to an airstrike in Syria that killed a top Iranian general.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has also vowed to retaliate for an Israeli airstrike in Beirut earlier this week that killed commander Fuad Shukr.
The April attack was in retaliation for an Israeli airstrike on an Iranian consulate in Damascus, which killed seven people, including a top commander. At that time, Israel received support from several Arab countries, including Jordan and Saudi Arabia, which helped shoot down Iranian and Houthi drones. They also allowed the US and Israel to use their airspace to intercept missiles.
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However, this time, the US anticipates it may be more challenging to secure the same level of cooperation due to Haniyeh’s assassination, which has drawn sharp condemnation across the Middle East, according to a report in Axios.
A senior Israeli official told Axios that the intelligence community expects a wide-ranging missile attack on Israel. An Israel Defence Forces (IDF) spokesperson noted that international partners have boosted their forces in the region.
Amid fears of a wider regional conflict in the Middle East, several US and international airlines, including Air India, have suspended flights to and from Israel.
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