The Iranian attack on Israel in response to the assassination of Hamas political bureau leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran last week is expected to come as early as Monday, three US and Israeli officials told Axios reporter Barak Ravid on Sunday.
Michael Erik Kurilla, commander of US Central Command, arrived in the Middle East early Sunday morning amid Hezbollah and Iran’s threats against Israel, Walla reported on Sunday, citing two senior US officials.
The aim of the visit, which was planned before the current escalation, is to prepare a coalition to counter such threats, the report added.
Israel on high alert at Iran threatens revenge
Several Iranian officials vowed that the country would avenge Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh’s assassination, as Israel remains on high alert for a potential attack and the United States is sending additional forces to the region.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps said on Saturday that revenge will be “severe and at an appropriate time, place, and manner,” blaming the “terrorist Zionist regime” for Haniyeh’s death.
In addition, the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations told CBS News in an exclusive on Friday that Hezbollah would begin deliberately targeting Israeli civilians – claiming that it had not done so until now.
The Lebanese-based terrorist group has reportedly decided to increase its targets in attacks in response to the assassination of its commander, Fuad Shukr.
“Until now, Hezbollah and the [Zionist] regime have, in an unwritten understanding, practically adhered to certain limits in their military operations, meaning that confining their actions to border areas and shallow zones, targeting primarily military objectives,” a spokesperson from the delegation told CBS News.
“However, the regime’s attack on Dahieh in Beirut and the targeting of a residential building marked a deviation from these boundaries,” the spokesperson said. “We anticipate that, in its response, Hezbollah will choose both broader and deeper targets, and will not restrict itself solely to military targets and means.”
An Israeli official told CBS News that while Iran’s April 13 attack was thwarted, Israel was anticipating a “more aggressive” retaliation this time around – a retaliation which could extend to Israeli interests abroad.
The US military will deploy additional fighter jets and Navy warships to the Middle East, the Pentagon said on Friday, as Washington seeks to bolster defenses following threats from Iran and its allies Hamas and Hezbollah.
The US is bracing for Iran to make good on its vow to respond to the killing of Haniyeh two days ago in the Iranian capital Tehran.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had approved sending additional Navy cruisers and destroyers – which can shoot down ballistic missiles – to the Middle East and Europe.
It is also sending an additional squadron of fighter jets to the Middle East.
“Austin has ordered adjustments to US military posture designed to improve US force protection, to increase support for the defense of Israel, and to ensure the United States is prepared to respond to various contingencies,” the Pentagon said in a statement.
There had been speculation that the Pentagon might not replace the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group in the Middle East once it completed its ongoing deployment. But Austin decided to rotate in the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group to replace it.
The Pentagon statement added it would increase readiness to deploy more land-based ballistic missile defenses.
The US military also intensified deployments prior to April 13, when Iran launched an attack on Israeli territory with drones and missiles. Still, the threat from Hezbollah in Lebanon could present unique challenges to any efforts by Washington to intercept drones and missiles, given the group’s vast arsenal and immediate proximity to the Jewish state.
At the time, Israel successfully shot down almost all of the roughly 300 drones and missiles with the help of the United States and other allies.
Earlier, Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said the US did not believe escalation was inevitable.
“I think we are being very direct in our messaging that certainly we don’t want to see heightened tensions, and we do believe there is an off ramp here – and that is that ceasefire deal,” Singh said.
An Israeli delegation will travel to Cairo in the coming days for negotiations to reach a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Friday.
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