Iranian broadcasters are warning of an imminent attack by Iran on Israel as the threat of a new regional conflict grows. 

Over the past 24 hours, several news channels close to the Iranian regime have painted a bleak picture of how Iran might retaliate for the killing of a top Hamas leader in Tehran on Wednesday.

Ismail Haniyeh’s assassination, widely thought to have been carried out by Israel, has raised the temperature of an already volatile situation.

“In the coming hours the world will witness extraordinary scenes and very important events,” said a presenter of the show Foreign Policy 1403.

“We are just waiting for the decision of our military strategists to see what course of action they recommend,” he added. 

Nour News, a media outlet close to Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said: “A punitive operation against the Israeli regime will be carried out at a determined time and manner.”

Kayhan, Tehran’s most hardline newspaper, said on Saturday: “Iran has advanced significantly over the past five months, and the retribution against the Zionists will be more multifaceted, co-ordinated, and severe this time.”

A US official told the Wall Street Journal that Joe Biden’s administration remains cautious on how Iran will respond, but, citing the source, the newspaper said “any response is likely a few days to a week away”.

On Friday night, the US said it would deploy additional fighter jets and navy warships to the Middle East to defend Israel against any retaliatory attack. 

Follow the latest updates below