Israel braces for another weekend attack from Iran, US ramps up military assets
Nearly four months after Iran launched missiles towards Israel in an unprecedented move on April 13
Jerusalem and Washington are preparing for another weekend attack from Tehran and its allies in retaliation for the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh earlier this week.
The United States has already started deploying additional warships and fighter jets in the Middle East to protect US personnel and defend Israel, a report in the Wall Street Journal said. Additional ballistic missile defence-capable cruisers and destroyers are also being arranged, AP quoted Pentagon officials as saying.
The Joe Biden administration is convinced that Iran is going to attack Israel as soon as this weekend, according to the report. The US fears the attack could be broader and more complex than the April 13 attack that was in retaliation for an airstrike in Syria that killed a top Iranian general.
Compounding the situation, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has also vowed to respond to the Israeli airstrike in Beirut earlier this week that killed commander Fuad Shukr.
The attack in April was in retaliation for an Israeli airstrike on an Iranian consulate in Damascus that 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.
However, this time, the US feels it might be difficult to receive the same level of cooperation as it is related to Haniyeh’s assassination, which has drawn sharp condemnation across the Middle East region, as per a report in Axios.
A senior Israeli official told Axios that the intelligence community expected a wide-ranging missile attack on Israel. However, an Israel Defence Forces (IDF) spokesperson said its international partners had 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.