Israel is preparing for a direct attack from Iran in the next 24 to 48 hours, a US intelligence source reported.

The country is readying itself for a possible strike on either southern or northern Israel, the source, who was not named, told the Wall Street Journal, as the US embassy placed travel restrictions on all government employees based in the country.

With the region on red alert, Iran is allegedly planning a larger-than-usual aerial attack featuring a mix of missiles and drone strikes, but it intends to limit its strike to avoid provoking a US response, a separate official told Politico.

 Iran is “looking to calibrate it, so they essentially don’t overplay their hand”, the official said.

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