As Israel and the United States prepare for an Iranian retaliatory strike against Israel following the killing of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniya, officials have revealed the expected timing. Three American and Israeli officials stated today, Sunday, that they expect Iran to attack Israel on Monday, according to Axios. They also mentioned that it is unclear whether Iran and Hezbollah will launch a coordinated attack or act separately.
The officials believe that Iran and Hezbollah are still finalizing their military plans and seeking political approval. An American official noted that the Biden administration aims to announce the reinforcement of U.S. forces on Friday as Iran and Hezbollah discuss how they will respond, hoping to deter them and influence their military strategies.
American officials expect Iran's retaliation to follow the same rules of engagement as the attack Iran carried out on April 13, when it targeted southern Israel, specifically the "Bneifatim" Air Force base, but it may be larger in scale and could also involve Hezbollah in Lebanon. Iran conducted a drone and missile attack on Israel on April 14, lasting about five hours, marking the first direct attack of this type that Tehran launched against Tel Aviv, following an Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, which resulted in the deaths of 16 individuals, including members and leaders of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.
Furthermore, two American officials reported that General Michael Kurilla, the U.S. Central Command chief, arrived in the region on Saturday and will attempt to de-escalate tensions between Israel and Iran during his visit. Earlier today, Biden responded to a question from reporters about whether Iran would retract its stance on retaliating against Israel, saying, "I don’t know; I hope so."
This comes as Washington braces for Iranian threats in response to the killing of Ismail Haniya, head of Hamas' political bureau, in Tehran. Regional tensions have surged following Haniya's assassination on Wednesday, a day after an Israeli raid in Beirut that killed Fouad Shukr, a senior military leader of Iranian-aligned Hezbollah. Iran and Hamas blamed Israel for Haniya's death and pledged to retaliate, alongside Hezbollah. Israel has not confirmed its involvement in Haniya's assassination; however, Netanyahu remarked earlier this week that Israel has dealt heavy blows to Iranian proxies recently, including Hamas and Hezbollah.
