Iran preparing imminent missile attack on Israel: US
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The warning comes after Israel escalated its campaign against the Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
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WASHINGTON - Iran is preparing an imminent ballistic missile attack against Israel, the United States said on Oct 1, warning that any such assault would have “severe” consequences for Tehran.
The warning came as Israel said it had launched a ground offensive in Lebanon
“The United States has indications that Iran is preparing to imminently launch a ballistic missile attack against Israel,” a senior White House official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
“We are actively supporting defensive preparations to defend Israel against this attack.”
The US and other Western allies stepped in to help defend Israel against a combined Iranian missile and drone attack in April
The US official added: “A direct military attack from Iran against Israel will carry severe consequences for Iran.”
Iran’s ballistic missile attack on Israel could be as big as or potentially bigger than the one in April, if it goes ahead, although that assessment is based on initial indications, and it is difficult to be certain, a US official told Reuters on Oct 1.
Iran has said that Nasrallah’s killing would bring about Israel’s “destruction”, though the Foreign Ministry said on Sept 30 that Tehran would not deploy soldiers to confront Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, issued a stark warning to Iran on Sept 30, saying there was “nowhere in the Middle East Israel cannot reach”.
He also said that a future “when Iran is finally free” would “come a lot sooner than people think”.
An attack on Israel by Iran would gravely compound fears of a wider regional conflict that the US and other world powers have said they want to avoid in the Middle East.
The US has cautiously backed Israel’s move to dismantle Hezbollah’s ability to attack northern Israel, even as President Joe Biden called for a ceasefire.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Washington was tracking events in the Middle East very closely.
“The United States is committed to Israel’s defence,” Mr Blinken said on the morning of Oct 1, while meeting his Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita at the State Department.
Washington said on Sept 30 that it was boosting its forces in the Middle East by a few thousand troops, by bringing in new units while extending others that are already there.
It was also deploying more fighter jets, the Pentagon said.
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin late on Sept 30 offered support to his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant for “dismantling attack infrastructure” belonging to Hezbollah along the border with Lebanon.
Hezbollah began low intensity strikes on Israeli troops a day after its Palestinian ally Hamas, which is also backed by Iran, staged its unprecedented attack on Israel on Oct 7, 2023, which triggered Israel’s devastating assault on the Gaza Strip.
Cross-border fire from Israel and Hezbollah have continued throughout Israel’s war in Gaza. AFP
