WASHINGTON: A senior White House official said on Tuesday that the United States has received indications that Iran is preparing to “imminently” launch a ballistic missile attack against Israel, AFP reported.
The White House official, speaking to AFP on the condition of anonymity, said, “The United States has indications that Iran is preparing to imminently launch a ballistic missile attack against Israel.”
The official said that the US is actively supporting Israel’s defensive preparations to counter this potential threat, warning that such an attack would have severe consequences for Iran.
“We are actively supporting defensive preparations to defend Israel against this attack. Such an action will carry severe consequences for Iran.”
Earlier, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned Iran of ‘Serious Consequences’ if it attacked Israel.
According to AFP, the Pentagon chief offered support to Israeli Minister for Defense Yoav Gallant for “dismantling attack infrastructure” along the border with Lebanon, following Israel launched ground attacks on Hezbollah.
In a statement, the US Defense Secretary said, “We agreed on the necessity of dismantling attack infrastructure along the border in order to ensure that Hezbollah cannot carry out October 7-style assaults on Israel.
Lloyd Austin also reiterated the position shared by the White House that a diplomatic resolution is necessary in order to ensure civilian safety on both sides of the border.
US President Joe Biden on Monday expressed opposition to a potential Israeli ground offensive in Lebanon and called for an immediate truce, as tensions spiraled following the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli attack on Friday in Beirut.
Talking to media persons, President Biden emphasized the urgency of halting military acts, saying, “I’m more aware than you might know and I’m comfortable with them stopping. We should have a truce now.”
However, Iran’s foreign ministry said on Monday that the country will not deploy forces to Lebanon or Gaza to confront Israel as Tel Aviv escalates its strikes targeting Tehran’s allies in the region.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said that local groups possess the capability to defend themselves against “aggression.”
“There is no need to send extra or volunteer forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Kanani said. He added that both Lebanon and Palestinian fighters are equipped to handle the situation independently. “Lebanon and fighters in the Palestinian territories have the capability and strength to defend themselves against the aggression,” the spokesman said.
