The White House believes that Iran is planning to attack Israel in response to the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. American forces in the region are preparing.
Axios reports this, citing three American officials.
What could be the response to the killing of Haniyeh
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top Iranian political and military officials have said that Iran will avenge Haniyeh's killing.
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According to officials, Iran's response will follow the same pattern as the attack on Israel on April 13, but will potentially be on a larger scale, and could also involve Lebanon's Hezbollah.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah also vowed to retaliate against Israel for the airstrike on Beirut on Tuesday, July 30, that killed its top military adviser, Fuad Shukr.
The Biden administration fears that it will be harder to mobilize the coalition of countries that defended Israel from a previous Iranian attack to defend Israel this time around, given growing anti-Israel sentiment in the region.
Iran launched an airstrike on Israel in April after the Israelis struck an Iranian facility in Damascus, killing a senior Iranian general.
Several Arab countries, including Jordan and Saudi Arabia, have either helped shoot down Iranian and Houthi drones or allowed the U.S. and Israel to use their airspace to intercept targets.
U.S. braces for Iranian attack on Israel
Two U.S. officials said the Iranians could need days to coordinate and prepare an attack on Israel.
The Pentagon and U.S. Central Command are putting U.S. forces in the Persian Gulf, Eastern Mediterranean and Red Sea on alert, the source said.
— We expect a tough few days, — the U.S. official said.
Israeli intelligence expects Iran to launch a massive missile attack on Israel. Israel's international partners have increased their forces in the region to help counter a possible attack.
Several U.S. and international airlines, including United, Delta, Lufthansa and Swiss, have announced they are suspending flights to and from Israel.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel is on high alert for any scenario — both defensively and offensively.
