The United States believes a major Iranian attack on Israel is imminent and could happen in the coming days, according to a report Wednesday, as Iran reiterated its vow to retaliate for an alleged Israeli strike in Syria that killed two generals among several Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps officers.
Citing people familiar with US and Israeli intelligence assessments, Bloomberg reported Iran could launch strikes involving high-precision missiles and drones targeting military and government sites in Israel.
One of the people quoted in the report said it was a matter of when — not if — Tehran will attack Israel.
Separately, the Axios news site reported that Gen. Michael Kurilla, head of the US Central Command, was expected to visit Israel on Thursday for consultations with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and other officials to discuss the threat of an Iranian attack.
The report added that US and Israeli officials across various agencies have been in contact over the last few days, as the countries prepare for a possible response to the alleged Israeli strike on April 1 that hit an Iranian consulate building in Damascus where the IRGC members were located.
The reports came as US President Joe Biden reiterated America’s commitment to Israeli security in the face of threats from Iran.
Speaking at a press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio in the White House’s Rose Garden, Biden told reporters Wednesday that “[w]e also addressed the Iranian threat, as they threaten to launch a significant attack on Israel.
“As I told Prime Minister Netanyahu, our commitment to Israel’s security against these threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad,” said Biden. “Let me say it again, ironclad. We’re going to do all we can to protect Israel’s security.”
An American official later told Al Jazeera that Biden’s remarks did not come out of left field, adding the US will assist in defending Israel if it is attacked by Iran or one of its proxies.
The official said that if the attack involves missiles and drones, American forces could help in downing them, and also said the US has not ruled out launching a joint response with Israel against the Islamic Republic or its allies if they attack the Jewish state.
Earlier Wednesday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei told a crowd in Tehran that “the evil regime made a mistake and must be punished, and it shall be,” referring to the attack in Damascus earlier this month, allegedly carried out by Israel, in which seven IRGC members were killed, including two generals.
One of them was Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a senior commander in the Quds Force, the Guards’ foreign arm, who led its operations in Syria.
Following Khamenei’s speech, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Foreign Minister Israel Katz both threatened that if Iran launched an attack from its own soil then Israel would strike back inside Iran.
Amid the tensions, German airline Lufthansa announced Wednesday that, after careful consideration, it would suspend flights to and from Tehran until Thursday, “due to the current situation in the Middle East.”
“We are constantly monitoring the situation in the Middle East and are in close contact with the authorities. The safety of our guests and crew members is Lufthansa’s top priority,” a spokesperson for the company told Reuters.