According to a new report from the Wall Street Journal, Iran is making preparations for an imminent assault from Israel, targeting either the southern or northern regions of Israel, with the strike expected to occur on Friday or Saturday.
According to a source familiar with the Iranian leadership, discussions about attacking are taking place, but a definitive choice has not yet been made.
Iran has issued a public warning to respond to an incident in Damascus, Syria, which they claim was an Israeli bombing on a diplomatic facility.
The airstrike resulted in the deaths of prominent Iranian military officers, including a high-ranking member of the elite Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Recent U.S. intelligence reports indicated that there was a potential for Iran or its proxies to launch an attack on Israeli assets. However, new information suggests that the strike might really take place within the boundaries of Israel itself.
The American Embassy in Israel said on Thursday that U.S. government personnel and their family members will be prohibited from engaging in personal travel outside of central Israel, Jerusalem, and Beersheba until further notice.
According to defense authorities, Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, who leads the U.S. Central Command responsible for military operations in the Middle East, visited Israel on Thursday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking from a military airbase in southern Israel, reiterated his commitment to retaliate directly in the event of any aggression against Israel.
According to Iranian state media and U.S. officials, Syria has also alleged that Israel was responsible for the attack that resulted in the death of Gen. Mohammad Reza Zahedi, who oversaw Iranian paramilitary activities in Syria and Lebanon.
Zahedi was the most senior Iranian military officer to be assassinated since the January 2020 killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani by the United States in Baghdad.
According to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, the strike resulted in the death of at least six further Iranian fighters.
An adviser to Iran’s paramilitary organization reported that earlier this week, the Revolutionary Guard communicated with the country’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, presenting various possibilities to target Israeli interests.
According to him, the potential situations being examined involve a deliberate assault on Israel using advanced medium-range missiles.
Social media sites affiliated with the Revolutionary Guard have recently shared movies depicting simulated missile strikes on Israel’s Haifa airport and its nuclear facility in Dimona.
Prior to this, an Iranian official has explicitly stated that in the event of an assault, Iran would target Israel’s electricity and desalination facilities.
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