The wait for Iran’s retaliatory response to the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, attributed to Israel, is taking longer than the United States initially anticipated, sources familiar with American intelligence told the Saudi state-owned Al Arabiya.
US officials, such as Secretary of State Antony Blinken, warned on Sunday and Monday that the strike would occur within 24 hours, but as of now, neither Iran nor Hezbollah has taken any action.
While the exact nature of the response remains unclear, American officials noted they are confident it is imminent.
According to the Al Arabiya report, the latest intelligence suggests the response may be delayed until Thursday or Friday.
Iran may be waiting for OIC summit to conclude
The report also indicated that Iran is believed to be waiting until after the conclusion of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation summit being held today in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, which will discuss the expected Iranian response.
American officials continue to struggle to determine the form of Iran’s response and whether it will involve coordinated action with Hezbollah or other militias in Iraq or Yemen. Hassan Nasrallah has already indicated that both Iran and Hezbollah will respond but left open the possibility of a coordinated large-scale attack across multiple fronts.
Additionally, it is believed that Hezbollah possesses an enormous arsenal of guided and precision missiles, which it has not publicized since October, alongside surface-to-air missiles and other types of missiles and drones.
The size of the arsenal is said to concern the Americans even more than the various types of weapons in the terrorist organization’s possession.
Al Arabiya also noted that these American sources believe they can help Israel deal with most launches from Iran and its proxies, although a prolonged conflict with Hezbollah would pose a challenge.
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