CNN reported, citing the U.S. Department of Defense, that Iran and its allies are expected to launch a large-scale attack on Israel in the next 72 hours. Senior U.S. officials anticipate that the forthcoming Iranian attack will closely resemble the one on April 13, but on a larger scale, likely involving Hezbollah, which did not participate in the previous attack. Senior officials in the Biden administration are concerned that, given the context this time involves the assassination of a Hamas leader in Tehran rather than an Iranian general in Damascus, it may be difficult to rally the same international and regional coalition that halted the previous Iranian attack.
U.S. intelligence agencies began receiving clear indicators last Wednesday that Iran would retaliate, according to a U.S. official. Two senior Pentagon officials stated that it could take several days for the Iranians and their allies to coordinate and prepare for an attack on Israel, adding that the Pentagon and U.S. Central Command are taking similar preparations to those made before the Iranian attack last April.
Iran held an emergency meeting of its Supreme National Security Council following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, accusing Israel of the assassination and promising a harsh response, coinciding with the Israeli strike that killed Hezbollah leader Fouad Shukr just hours before Haniyeh's assassination. The Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that the Israeli army raised its state of alert following the strike on the southern suburb, and Israeli sources indicated that rescue teams in northern Israel were instructed to remain on high alert, with border settlements urging residents to exercise caution and follow internal front instructions.
