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Washington believes that Iran is “preparing to imminently launch a ballistic missile attack against Israel”, a US official said on Tuesday, threatening “severe consequences” if the attack were carried out.
The warning came as Israel launched a ground offensive in Lebanon on Tuesday, intensifying its campaign against Hizbollah after launching waves of devastating air strikes against the Tehran-backed militant group.
The official added that the US would support Israel in defending itself against such an attack.
“The United States has indications that Iran is preparing to imminently launch a ballistic missile attack against Israel,” the official said. “We are actively supporting defensive preparations to defend Israel against this attack. A direct military attack from Iran against Israel will carry severe consequences for Iran.”
The US embassy in Jerusalem has ordered all of its employees to shelter in place.
Daniel Hagari, Israel’s military spokesperson, confirmed that Israel had been warned by Washington but added that the country had not identified any aerial threat from Iran at present. He said Israel was prepared for all scenarios.
The comments follow a dramatic two-week period, during which Israel assassinated Hizbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah launched a bombing campaign that has killed more than 1,000 people in Lebanon, and moved troops across the border.
Israel has characterised its incursion into Lebanon as “limited, localised, and targeted ground raids” against Hizbollah in the south of the country.
It says it is seeking to make northern Israel safe for the return of about 60,000 people displaced by Hizbollah’s rocket fire.
The regional escalation has been accompanied by a ratcheting up of Israel’s rhetoric, with officials talking about “defeating” Hizbollah and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledging last week to “change the balance of power in the region for years”.
In April, Iran fired more than 300 missiles and drones at Israel after a suspected Israeli strike hit its embassy compound in Damascus, killing several senior Iranian commanders.
The Iranian barrage was clearly telegraphed and caused limited damage since Israel’s air defences, supported by the US, the UK and France, intercepted most of the projectiles before they reached Israeli air space.
Israel responded with a missile attack on an air base near the Iranian city of Isfahan, but the tit-for-tat exchange was contained, with neither side wanting a further escalation.
But, as Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza has lowered in intensity, Israeli forces have stepped up strikes on Iranian proxies in the region.
The US’s latest warning will heighten fears that Israel’s escalating offensive against Hizbollah will trigger an all-out regional war.
Following the first reports of the missile warning, Brent crude, the international benchmark oil price, rose 3.9 per cent to $74.49 a barrel on Tuesday, after having previously traded down on the day. Gold prices also rose.
Iranian leaders have repeatedly said they do not want to be drawn into a broader Middle East war, adding that the Islamic republic would not fall into what they have described as Israel’s “trap”.
Analysts say the regime’s priority is ensuring the republic’s survival and that it is wary of being dragged into a direct conflict with Israel that would also pull in the US.
But the republic arms and supports militant groups across the region that have attacked Israel.
Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said on Tuesday that Tehran wanted political “collective action” by countries that seek “stability and calm in the region”. He called on the international community to stop Israel’s escalation in the region.
The US has been deploying additional forces to the region since Israel assassinated Nasrallah on Friday and ramped up its bombing campaign on Lebanon. It has about 40,000 troops in the region.
Additional reporting by Raya Jalabi and Rafe Uddin
