White House warns of the threat of an Iranian attack on Israel in the near future
Kyiv • UNN
The United States is sending military forces to the Middle East because of the threat of an Iranian attack on Israel. Western leaders have expressed support for Israel and called on Iran to back down from its aggressive plans.
The White House on Monday warned that an Iranian attack on Israel could be imminent, Voice of America reports, UNN writes.
Details
White House National Security Advisor John Kirby said that Israel and its allies should be prepared for "possible significant attacks" by Iran this week.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Sunday ordered the deployment of the nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine USS Georgia to the Middle East and accelerated the deployment of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln to the region.
Answering a journalist's question about whether this was a message from Iran, Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder said: "Absolutely.
"We're trying to send a message that we want to de-escalate the situation, we have forces in the region to protect our troops, and we support Israel's defense," Ryder said, speaking to reporters at the Pentagon on Monday.
Barbara Star, a senior fellow in communications and policy at the University of Southern California, called the signal "an important benchmark," noting that the United States does not use submarines for preemptive attacks.
"The US really wants Iran to know that it is present and ready to strike in defense of Israel," she wrote on social network X.
Meanwhile, on Monday, U.S. President Joe Biden discussed the growing tensions in the Middle East with the leaders of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy.
In a joint statement, the leaders expressed their "full support" for efforts to achieve a ceasefire and a hostage deal in Gaza. They also noted that they support the call by Biden and the leaders of Egypt and Qatar to resume talks later this week.
The leaders also expressed support for Israel's defense against attacks by Iran and Iranian-backed terrorist groups, calling on Iran to "back off" while discussing the "serious regional security implications" of an attack.
Meanwhile, representatives of the Hamas group confirmed the killing of one Israeli hostage by militants and the wounding of two others. Hamas spokesman Abu Ubaida blamed the killing on the hostage's security, calling it a response to the so-called Israeli "massacre" of Palestinians. He also said that two Israeli hostages were wounded in another incident.
Pentagon officials reportedly stated that the Iranian Armed Forces are in striking positions.
The U.S. military saw similar troop movements before Iran's first direct military attack on Israel in April, when Tehran launched more than 300 drones and missiles westward. Only a small number of the missiles and drones hit Israeli targets, causing minor damage and injuring a few people.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant said on Monday that he discussed with his American counterpart preparations for a possible large-scale military attack on Israel. Austin said that the United States will take all possible steps to protect Israel.
On Friday, an Iranian official from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ordered Iran to "severely punish" Israel for the assassination of the Hamas leader in Tehran on July 31.
