The US is on heightened alert and actively preparing for a "major" attack within the next week by Iran in response to Monday's Israeli strike on Damascus that killed top Iranian commanders, a senior government official told CNN.
Senior US officials currently believe an attack by Iran is "inevitable" – a view shared by their Israeli counterparts. The two governments are working feverishly to’ what's to come, as they expect Iran's attack could play out in many different ways – and that both US and Israeli assets and personnel are at risk of being targeted.
An imminent Iranian attack was the main topic of discussion in President Joe Biden's phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday .
Until Friday, the two governments did not know when or how Iran planned to strike back, the official said.
A direct strike on Israel by Iran is one of the worst-case scenarios the Biden administration is preparing for, as it would lead to a rapid escalation of an already turbulent situation in the Middle East. Such a strike could lead to the escalation of the Israel-Hamas war into a wider, regional conflict – something Biden has long sought to avoid.
Iran has vowed to retaliate after Israel's airstrike on Iran's embassy compound in Syria killed at least seven officials. Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a top commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, and senior commander Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi were among the dead, according to Iran's foreign ministry.
The US rushed to inform Iran that the Biden administration was not involved in and had no advance knowledge of Monday's embassy strike, and they have warned Iran not to target American assets.
Source: CNN
