Speaking to reporters at the White House on Friday, President Joe Biden expressed his expectation that Iran will launch an attack on Israel “sooner than later.”
In response to a question on the timing of an Iranian attack on Israel, Biden told reporters, “I don’t want to get into secure information but my expectation is sooner than later.”
The president simply responded, “Don’t,” when asked what his current message is to Iran.
Biden stepped back onto the podium and reaffirmed America’s “devoted” commitment to defending Israel in response to more raised voices from the group of reporters, including MJ Lee of AWN, who had asked whether American forces were in danger.
We will not rest until we have protected Israel. “Iran will not succeed,” Biden declared, as he promised to back Israel and aid in its defense.
With rising concerns of a broader regional conflict, the United States has been on high alert for a major Iranian reprisal strike on Israel in the past few days.
The White House released a statement on Friday stating that, in light of Israel’s attack on an Iranian diplomatic post in Syria last week, which resulted in the deaths of three Iranian generals, the threat of strikes by Iran is still visible, credible, and feasible.
This week, Biden issued a warning that Iran was threatening a “significant attack” on Israel. His national security staff has been providing him with daily briefings on the situation.
The United States, along with a number of other nations, including France and Britain, revised its travel restrictions for Israeli government employees in response to the growing Iranian threat.
As for when the threat might materialize, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said, “We’re watching this very, very closely,” but he refused to give any details.
Israel and the US are preparing for a possible Iranian strike, so the Defense Department is deploying more assets to the Middle East “to bolster regional deterrence efforts and increase force protection for US forces,” according to a US defense official who spoke to AWN.
From October to February, US personnel stationed in Iraq and Syria were attacked over a hundred times by proxy forces backed by Iran. In response, the Pentagon has been focusing on strengthening air defenses for these troops. A drone breached US air defenses at the Tower 22 installation in Jordan in January, killing three US servicemembers.
The United States is relocating its assets in case Iran or its proxies launch an attack on US soldiers in response, even though it does not expect this to happen.
“We should assess our own position in the region to ensure we are adequately prepared,” Kirby stated.
Last week, AWN stated that the United States was on high alert and making preparations for an Iranian attack against Israeli or American installations in the area. Authorities have warned that such an attack might occur as soon as next week.
Rumor has it that Iran is cautious about a major escalation.
Two sources familiar with US intelligence on the subject told AWN earlier this week that if Iran were to launch an attack on Israel, it would most likely be coordinated by Iranian proxy forces in the region, rather than by Iran itself.
According to the sources, Tehran is apprehensive about a sudden and severe escalation of hostilities since it does not want to provide the United States or its allies with a pretext to launch an assault on Iran.
Iranian officials and their militia allies do not seem to be planning an assault on American personnel or facilities in the area, according to the sources. However, as Iran does not exert absolute control over its proxy forces, the likelihood of an attack on American assets should not be totally eliminated.
The sources informed AWN that US intelligence believes Iran has ordered many proxy militias to coordinate a massive drone and missile assault on Israel, and that this strike could happen this week.
There is a “very clear and credible threat,” according to one insider. All the necessary components for the attack have been assembled. Looking forward to the perfect moment.
During a phone conversation last week, Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the possibility of an assault by Iran.
The Biden administration is preparing for the worst-case scenario, which includes an Iranian attack on Israel. This would ensure a quick escalation of the already turbulent Middle Eastern situation. The expansion of the Israel-Hamas conflict into a broader regional battle is something that Biden has long aimed to prevent, and such an attack might make it happen.
Several times a day, Biden is briefed on the situation, according to Kirby.
Kirby stated on Friday that the US is actively working to guarantee Israel’s defense capabilities and that US officials are in “constant communication” with their Israeli counterparts regarding the topic.
According to Kirby, “We are certainly mindful of a very public and what we consider to be a very credible threat made by Iran in terms of potential attacks on Israel” (Friday).
In support of “those conversations directly with his IDF counterparts,” he cited US Central Command chief Gen. Erik Kurilla’s Friday visit to Israel.
According to AWN’s sources, US officials were irritated with their Israeli colleagues since Israel did not provide enough information before last week’s strike in Damascus. The United States did not get notification from Israel until its planes had already taken off for Syria, according to another US official.
“We were unaware that Israel was planning to launch this airstrike beforehand,” the official stated. Minutes prior to the incident, while Israeli planes were already airborne, Israel contacted an American official to inform them that they were carrying out a strike in Syria. The strike had already begun before information could reach the U.S. administration, and it failed to specify who or where the attack would be carried out.
Pressure from diplomats
In response to Iran’s threats against Israel, Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with the foreign ministers of Turkey, China, and Saudi Arabia on Thursday, according to State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller. Blinken urged these ministers to put pressure on Iran to refrain from inflaming the Middle East crisis.
U.S. officials have “engaged with European allies and partners over the past few days,” according to Miller, in order to convey a comparable message on Iran. The Iranian foreign minister has recently been in contact with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and British Foreign Secretary David Cameron.
“It is in their interest to use their relationship to send a message to Iran that they should not escalate this conflict,” Blinken has been telling each country with even a tenuous connection to Iran. “However, I will allow those nations to express their own opinions regarding the possible actions they might take,” Miller stated.
After Iranian officials publicly threatened Israelis, the US State Department limited the travel of US federal employees in the country.
According to a security alert published by the US Embassy on Thursday, “U.S. government personnel are authorized to transit between these three areas for personal travel.” The alert stated that, “Out of an abundance of caution, U.S. government employees and their family members are restricted from personal travel outside the greater Tel Aviv (including Herzliya, Netanya, and Even Yehuda), Jerusalem, and Be’er Sheva areas until further notice.”
The security situation is complex and can change quickly due to political factors and recent events, as stated in the advisory.
Fearing “military escalation,” the French Foreign Ministry issued a travel warning to its residents Friday, advising them to “absolutely refrain” from visiting Iran, Lebanon, Israel, and the occupied Palestinian territories.
Public officials will not be permitted to go on work missions to those nations or territories, and the families of diplomats stationed in Tehran, the capital of Iran, will be sent back to France, according to the ministry.
The latest suggestion was provided by the French foreign minister after a crisis conference regarding the area, according to the ministry’s post on X.
