The Biden administration is preparing for a possible attack on Israel by Iran and its proxies as early as this week in retaliation for the recent assassinations of Top leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah.
“We have to be prepared to deal with what could be a series of significant attacks, which is why, again, we have strengthened our force posture and our capabilities in the region, even over the last few days,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters Monday.
The Pentagon, which rarely makes public statements about the location of submarines, said Sunday that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had commanded the USS Georgiaa nuclear-powered guided-missile submarine in the region. Austin also ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group to “accelerate” its movement from the Indo-Pacific to the Middle East.
The measures were taken, the Pentagon said, to protect U.S. forces in the region as well as to help Israel defend itself against an anticipated retaliatory attack by Iran and its proxies.
U.S. officials told CBS News that a limited attack by Hezbollah and Iran could come with little or no warning. Hezbollah is and has been positioned to launch attacks with little or no warning. Iran has made sufficient preparations to launch a limited attack with little warning, potentially coordinated with a Hezbollah offensive.
The administration has been preparing for an attack since Iran publicly accused Israel of assassinating two senior Hamas and Hezbollah leaders in late July. Israel has claimed responsibility for the killings. Fouad Shukura senior Hezbollah commander in Lebanon, but did not confirm his involvement in the death of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed during his visit to Tehran on July 31.
In April, Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles at Israel, causing minimal damage, thanks to Israeli air defenses and help from the United States and other allies.
This time, U.S. officials are concerned that Hezbollah’s potential entry into the conflict could trigger a broader regional war that the Biden administration has been trying to avoid since Oct. 7, when Hamas attacked Israel, leading to Israeli retaliation in Gaza. According to the CIA’s World Factbook, Hezbollah has about 150,000 rockets and missiles that it could use against Israel while the latter continues its war against Hamas in Gaza.
Kirby expressed optimism that ceasefire negotiations could continue this week in Doha, Qatar, to end the fighting in Gaza.
“We expect these discussions to move forward. And they should move forward. All negotiators should come back to the table and get this deal done,” Kirby said.
