US officials warned about an “imminent” Iranian attack on Wednesday, as they did not rule out the possibility of a joint strike on Iran with Israel, while Biden promised ironclad support for Israel, calling on regional players to pressure Iran to de-escalate.
US officials voiced alarm on Wednesday over the prospect of an imminent strike against Israeli interests after Israel on April 1 destroyed the Iranian consulate building, killing seven members of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards, including two generals.
According to Bloomberg, US intelligence predicts an “imminent massive attack” by Iran and its allied groups against Israel. The question is no longer “if” this attack will take place, but “when,” an unnamed source close to US intelligence told the agency.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) top general Erik Kurilla is expected in Israel this Thursday, April 11, to assess the situation, according to US media outlet Axios. He’s expected to meet Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Israeli army officers.
US Not Ruling Out Direct Action Against Iran
A senior US official told Al Jazeera on Wednesday that the US is not ruling out the possibility of launching a joint attack on Iran with Israel—if the Islamic Republic responds to the assassination of a senior IRGC general earlier this month by attacking Israel.
US President Joe Biden the same day promised “ironclad” support for Israel as Iran threatens reprisals over a strike that leveled an Iranian consulate building in Damascus and killed two generals.
Biden’s promise comes despite his public criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the toll on civilians in Israel’s campaign against Hamas, especially after a strike killed seven aid workers.
Iran is “threatening to launch a significant attack on Israel,” Biden told a news conference.
“As I told Prime Minister Netanyahu, our commitment to Israel’s security against these threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad,” Biden said.
“Let me say it again—ironclad. We’re going to do all we can to protect Israel’s security,” said Biden.
Flights Canceled
The US Middle East envoy, Brett McGurk, called the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Iraq to ask them to deliver a message to Iran urging it to lower tensions with Israel, a source with knowledge of the situation said.
Iran’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar and Iraq spoke on the phone with Iran’s foreign minister and discussed regional tensions.
Amid the heightened risks, German airline Lufthansa on Wednesday announced it had suspended flights to and from Tehran, probably until Thursday, saying it was “due to the current situation in the Middle East.” Turkish Airlines has also suspended scheduled flights between Istanbul and Tehran.
And in the wake of this, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called on his country’s citizens to “refrain from traveling to the Middle East, especially Lebanon and Israel, unless absolutely necessary.”
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned in a speech Wednesday that the “evil regime” of Israel “must be punished and will be punished.”
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Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz swiftly riposted, in a Persian-language statement on social media site X, “If Iran attacks from its territory, Israel will respond and attack Iran.”
Iran’s clerical state supports Hamas, which on October 7 launched the deadliest attack against Israel in the country’s history, triggering a relentless six-month Israeli military operation inside the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.
The United States since the start of the war has sought to prevent it from spreading, including to Lebanon, where Iran supports Hezbollah.
The United States has been tight-lipped in its public reaction to the April 1 strike, saying it has not determined whether Israel struck a diplomatic facility, which would breach international agreements on the inviolability of embassies and consulates.
With AFP
