E-Paper
Iranian attack on Israel soon? US General visits Middle East as fears of war grow
Three US and Israeli officials told Axios that they expect Iran to attack Israel as early as Monday.
Tensions in the Middle East have reached a boiling point as a series of violent incidents, including airstrikes, assassinations, and military mobilisations, have set the stage for potential widespread conflict. US Central Command’s General Michael Kurilla arrived in the Middle East on Saturday amid Israel’s heightened state of alert for a possible Iranian attack, reported Axios, in retaliation to the assassination of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
This visit, although planned before the recent surge in hostilities, is seen as a crucial effort to mobilise international and regional support akin to the coalition that defended Israel in April.
Follow LIVE updates on Middle East crisis
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said that a short-range projectile caused the death of Haniyeh, and accused Israel, supported by the US, of orchestrating the attack.
“The action was designed and carried out by the Zionist regime and supported by the U.S.,” said the Guard's statement. It added that “the warmongering and terrorist Zionist regime will receive harsh punishment in the suitable time, place, and capacity.”
Israel has neither confirmed nor denied its role in Haniyeh's killing.
This incident has spurred calls for retaliation, with Iran and its proxies, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, vowing to respond.
Ismail Haniyeh was killed in Tehran hours after the Israeli assassination of Hezbollah's military chief in Beirut. Iran said on Saturday it expects Hezbollah to hit deeper inside Israel and no longer be confined to military targets.
US and Israeli officials have indicated that an Iranian attack on Israel could occur as soon as Monday.
The threat of Iranian retaliation has prompted the US to bolster its military presence in the region. The Pentagon announced the deployment of a fighter jet squadron and the maintenance of an aircraft carrier in the Middle East. Both the US and British governments have advised their citizens to leave Lebanon, anticipating possible escalations.
Meanwhile, an Israeli delegation led by Mossad Chief David Barnea made a brief visit to Cairo for discussions with Egyptian intelligence officials. This comes after US President Joe Biden urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to consider a cease-fire, despite the complexities added by the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
Even as efforts for a cease-fire in Gaza continue, Israeli airstrikes in the West Bank killed nine Palestinian militants on Saturday. The Israeli army reported that its forces targeted a vehicle outside Tulkarem, killing five occupants identified by Hamas as militants. Later, four more militants were killed after they allegedly opened fire on Israeli troops. Over 590 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank since the war between Israel and Hamas reignited in Gaza in October.
