“Don’t do it!”. It is the latest appeal launched by American President Joe Biden to Iran while Israel waits hours for Tehran’s attack “on the south or north of the country” in response to the Israeli attack on April 1st on the Iranian consulate in Syria.
“Imminent Attack”
According to US sources, an attack by Iran is imminent. Israel will reportedly be bombed with around a hundred drones and dozens of missiles and it will be challenging for the Israelis to defend themselves from an attack of this magnitude, although the possibility has been raised that the Iranians may opt for a smaller-scale attack to avoid escalation.
Biden: “We will help Israel”
“We are dedicated to the defense of Israel. We will support Israel, we will help defend Israel, and Iran will not succeed“, Biden told reporters. As for the timing of a possible attack, the President says he expects it “sooner rather than later” although he explains that he does not want to reveal classified information.
The US sends reinforcements
Meanwhile, the US Department of Defense is strengthening its positions in the Middle East as revealed by US Defense sources on CNN. The movement of military ‘assets’ is aimed at “strengthening regional deterrence efforts and increasing the protection force of US forces”.
Intelligence: US forces will not be attacked
According to the New York Times citing American and Iranian officials, Iran will attack Israel but not the United States or its military forces. The United States has military forces in several places in the Middle East, but Iran is likely not to target them, to avoid triggering a direct conflict with the US.
But Tehran itself has denied the intelligence rumors and has made it known through various Arab countries in recent days that if the United States gets involved, American forces in the region will be attacked. This was reported by Barak Ravid for Axios, citing three American officials, according to whom in recent days the Iranians have told several Arab governments that they consider the United States responsible for the Israeli attack on Damascus, regardless of the United States’ efforts to take the distances from the episode.
Israeli army on maximum alert
Meanwhile, the Israeli army is on maximum alert. “We are ready to attack and defend using various capabilities that the IDF has, and also ready with our strategic partners,” said IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari. “We are on alert, highly prepared for various scenarios and constantly assessing the situation.”
Announcing that “there is no change to the instructions of the Home Front Command”, Hagari stressed that “an attack from Iranian territory would be clear evidence of Iranian intentions to aggravate the situation in the Middle East and stop hiding behind proxies” . “We have a multi-layered defense capability that has proven itself during the war, with thousands of successful interceptions,” the spokesperson added, while admitting that “the defense will never be airtight.”
Gallant sees the US general
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant met with the commander of Centcom, American General Michael Erik Kurilla, with whom he discussed the “response to an Iranian attack with the State of Israel, which could provoke a regional escalation”. “Our enemies think they can divide Israel and the United States, but the opposite is true, they are bringing us closer and strengthening our ties, we are shoulder to shoulder.”
And again, Gallant says he is “certain that the world sees the true face of Iran, the terrorist body that incites attacks throughout the Middle East, that finances Hamas, Hezbollah and other forces, and that now also threatens the State of Israel “. “We are ready to defend ourselves on the ground and in the air, in close collaboration with our partners, and we will know how to respond”, reiterates the minister after the meeting with Kurilla, who arrived in Tel Aviv in recent days, faced with the risk of an attack Tehran in retaliation for the Israeli raid on April 1st against the Iranian consulate in Damascus.
