A day after Israel announced it had launched a “limited, localized and targeted ground attack” against Lebanon’s Hezbollah, White House officials said Iran plans to attack Israel with a ballistic missile attack. “It’s imminent,” he warned.
“The United States has indications that Iran is preparing imminently for a ballistic missile attack against Israel,” a senior White House official said in remarks carried by U.S. and European news agencies Tuesday afternoon.
The Iranian government had vowed to retaliate against Israel for a series of attacks on Iranian-backed militias across the Middle East, including Iran and Hezbollah.
“We are actively supporting Israel’s defense preparations to protect it from this attack,” the official said in a statement, warning that such action “will have serious consequences for Iran.”
If carried out, White House officials said, the attack could be as large or larger than the salvo of missiles, loitering weapons and exploding drones that Iran launched into Israel in April. be.
Iran fired 170 drones, 30 cruise missiles and 120 ballistic missiles in its first direct attack on Israel in April, an Israeli Defense Forces spokesperson said at the time. Most were shot down by Israel and its allies before reaching their targets.
Israel Defense Forces spokesman Adm. Daniel Hagari said the United States had warned Israel of the impending attack and that the Israeli military was making “best preparations for attack and defense.”
“We have dealt with this threat in the past and we will continue to deal with it,” he said of the April attack.
Additionally, “Iran’s shelling of the state of Israel will have an impact. We have a plan and we have the capabilities.”
The potential attack will raise concerns that escalating violence in the region could lead to war between Israel and Iran.
On Tuesday night, the U.S. Embassy called on all staff and their families to shelter in place until further notice. “The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem reiterates the need for continued vigilance and increased personal safety awareness, as security incidents such as mortar and rocket launches and intrusions into unmanned aircraft systems frequently occur without warning. “This is a reminder to the American people,” the warning reads.
“The security environment remains complex and can change rapidly in response to political developments and recent events.”
“In response to security incidents, the U.S. Embassy may further restrict or prohibit travel by U.S. government personnel and their families to certain areas of Israel (including the Old City of Jerusalem) and the West Bank without prior notice. You may.”
Israel launched an incursion into southern Lebanon, dubbed Operation Northern Arrow, on Monday night with artillery fire across the border.
The ground invasion marks the first time Israeli forces have been in Lebanon since 2006, when the two countries signed a peace deal ending a 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah, the Shiite militia that controls large swathes of southern Lebanon. This is the first time the operation has started.
Smoke rises after the Israeli Air Force attacks a village in southern Lebanon. Photo: Jim Urquhart/Reuters
Israeli authorities on Monday ordered residents of about 30 villages in southern Lebanon to evacuate, the first concrete request since the military began its invasion. An Israeli military spokesperson said the Israeli Defense Forces were targeting Hezbollah’s “attack infrastructure” along the UN border, prompting evacuations north of the Awari River, about 35 miles (55 kilometers) from the Blue Line between the two countries. informed the people.
It is not clear why Israel asked residents of certain towns in the south to leave rather than neighboring towns, or why it ordered them to go that far north. “Be careful, do not go south. Going south may put your life at risk,” the statement added. “I’ll let you know when it’s safe to go home.”
Residents of Burj al-Shemali, a town of about 60,000 people that was included in Israel’s evacuation order, received a phone call warning them to leave, and many were evacuated, Mayor Ali Deeb told the Guardian. .
“Some people went to Tire, others went to the Awari River. Some people stayed because they didn’t have a place to go or didn’t have the money to leave.” “Everyone” in the town was scared, he said. He added that there is.
As of noon Tuesday, the scope of the ground operation remained unclear. Air strikes on targets in Beirut and shelling in southern Lebanon continued overnight, and Lebanese emergency workers said they had recovered 25 bodies and rescued 13 injured people since 8pm on Monday.
Footage showing aftermath of Israeli attack on Beirut – Video
Local residents told Reuters that at least 600 people had taken refuge in a monastery in the town of Rumeish, near the Blue Line, as airstrikes continued.
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati met with UN officials on Tuesday and called this “one of the most dangerous stages in (Lebanon’s) history.” He asserted that “Israel’s devastating war against Lebanon has forced the displacement of approximately one million of our citizens.”
British Foreign Secretary David Lamy called for an immediate ceasefire, warning: “No one wants to go back to the days when Israel was mired in southern Lebanon.”
“None of us wants a regional war,” Mr Lamy said in remarks broadcast on the BBC. “The costs will be huge for the Middle East and have significant implications for the global economy.”
At the same time, U.S. officials have expressed cautious support for the operation, with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaking with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant “about the need to dismantle[Hezbollah’s]attack infrastructure along the border.” I agree.
Israel’s offensive follows a number of Israeli successes against Hezbollah, and appears to have emboldened Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take on the Iranian-backed organization, despite significant diplomatic efforts to avoid escalating the war. is.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli military strike in Beirut on Friday, dealing a major blow to the militant group and raising fears the conflict could spread across the Middle East.
What followed was a two-week strike that began with Hezbollah members’ pagers and walkie-talkies exploding, leaving dozens dead and thousands more injured. Israel has since continued shelling Beirut and launched attacks in Yemen and Syria, claiming it is launching attacks against Iranian-backed militias across the Middle East.
