Following the assassinations of Hezbollah military chief Fuad Shoukr and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, the US estimates that Iran could launch an attack on Israel within 24 to 48 hours from today. As Israel prepares for the attack, Biden will convene his national security team.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a phone call with G7 foreign ministers that Iran and Hezbollah could attack Israel within 24 to 48 hours.
According to three people familiar with the call who spoke to the US news website Axios, Blinken said the US believes Iran and Hezbollah will retaliate. Blinken told the G7 foreign ministers that it was unclear how Iran would retaliate, stating that they did not know the exact timing of the attacks but that they “could begin in the next 24 to 48 hours”.
Blinken noted that the US was seeking to limit Iranian and Hezbollah attacks as much as possible and then to limit Israel’s response in order to break the cycle of escalation.
Blinken urged the G7 foreign ministers to put diplomatic pressure on Iran, Hezbollah and Israel to exercise restraint, and said the increase in the number of US forces in the region was defensive.
A source who attended the meeting said Blinken appeared “frustrated” as he briefed the ministers on recent talks with Israel over Gaza prisoners and a ceasefire agreement.
US convenes national security team
It has been announced that US President Biden will also convene his national security team due to rising tensions and the threat of retaliation.
A White House statement said the meeting, which will be closed to the press, will take place in the ‘Situation Room’, which is convened in special circumstances. The statement said Biden would convene his national security team today to discuss the latest developments in the Middle East following the assassinations of senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukour and Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh, and Iran’s possible retaliation against Israel.
“The US wants to reduce tensions in the region”
Speaking on CBS’s Face the Nation, US Deputy National Security Adviser Jonathan Finer said the US was seeking to reduce tensions in the region through measures such as sending additional warplanes and ships to the Middle East.
“We are trying to prevent the conflict in Gaza from spilling over and spreading elsewhere. That is our strategic objective,” he said.
The US Department of Defence (Pentagon) has announced that it will send additional warplanes and ships to the region to increase its support for Israel’s security in the face of ‘threats from Iran’.
Israel expects casualties this time
Meanwhile, Israel is bracing for possible attacks from Iran and Hezbollah.
According to Israel’s Channel 12, Israeli security services are on “high alert” and members of the US-led international coalition, including Britain and allied Arab states, are on standby to prevent and deter possible Iranian attacks on “various fronts”.
The report, which did not cite sources, said the measures taken included allied aircraft and warships patrolling the region.
The report noted that Israeli leaders are discussing how the country will respond to such attacks, including the possibility of an all-out war.
The Ynet news website also reported that security meetings have been held to prepare for attacks. According to the report, ministers were asked to be ready for any scenario.
“MK-83 bombs approved” claim
On the other hand, it has been claimed that the US administration has approved the sending of half-ton MK-83 bombs to Israel for use in air strikes.
According to the Israel Hayom newspaper, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, who visited the US in late July, asked Biden to send heavier bombs in case of an escalation of tensions with Lebanese Hezbollah on the northern border.
According to the news report, Biden allegedly decided to send MK-83 bombs, which weigh half a tonne and are used in fighter jets, while it is not yet known whether Washington has accepted the transfer of MK-84 bombs, which weigh one tonne.
The reportedly approved half-ton bombs are expected to be delivered to Israel along with some 1,700 250-kilogram MK-82 bombs, the delivery of which was stopped by the Biden administration after they were loaded onto the ship.
It was noted that the MK-82 bombs were stopped on Biden’s direct orders due to his dissatisfaction with Israel’s attacks on Rafah in southern Gaza.
While it is known that the US restricted arms shipments to Israel for a while after the 7 October attacks, but recently resumed them, the delivery of heavy weapons is causing public debate.
A senior Israeli official said that Israel and the US might find it difficult to stop an attack on several fronts and that the country should prepare for ‘a large number of casualties’. The official claimed that only such a scenario would pave the way for a stronger Israeli response and that the world would rally around Israel.
