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US issues travel warning for Israel as attack on Iran seen imminent and fears Gaza war could spread

US issues travel warning for Israel as attack on Iran seen imminent and fears Gaza war could spread

 


Tel Aviv — Israel is preparing for a worst-case scenario that U.S. officials say could materialize in just a few hours: the possibility of a direct attack by Iran on Israeli soil in retaliation for a strike that occurred nearly two weeks that killed seven Iranian military officers. Iran has vowed revenge for Israel's killing of its commanders, hit by an April 1 strike on the Iranian embassy in the Syrian capital.

Two U.S. officials told CBS News that a major Iranian attack on Israel was expected as early as Friday, possibly including more than 100 drones and dozens of missiles aimed at military targets inside the country. Sources told CBS News that retaliation could include attacks by both Iranian forces and proxy groups in the region to which they have been funneling additional weapons for weeks.

Officials said it would be difficult for the Israelis to defend against such a large-scale attack, and while they suggested the Iranians might opt ​​for a smaller-scale attack to avoid a dramatic escalation, their reprisals would have been imminent.

When asked Friday how imminent he thought an attack was, President Biden responded, “I don't want to get into secure information, but I hope it's sooner rather than later.” The president urged Iran not to move forward, saying his message to Tehran was: “Don't do it.”

White House warns Iran of retaliatory attacks on Israel 04:44

Tehran has not publicly indicated how or when it will retaliate, so it is unclear how far Iranian leaders will go. If they decide to carry out a direct attack on Israel, there are fears that the ongoing war between Israel and its Iranian ally Hamas could escalate into a much larger regional conflict.

With Iranian retaliation expected at any time, the US State Department on Thursday warned Americans in Israel not to travel outside major cities, which are better protected from rocket fire by the Iron Dome missile defense system from the country. The latest guidance notes that travel of U.S. government employees to Israel could be further restricted without notice as the situation evolves in the Powder Magazine region.

“Whoever harms us, we will harm them,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised Thursday during his visit to troops at an Israeli army airbase. “We are ready…both defensively and offensively.”

Members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) burn Israeli and American flags during the funeral of members of the IRGC's elite Quds Force who were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Syria, in Tehran, Iran, April 2024. Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto/ Getty

Sima Shine, a security expert and former head of Israel's national intelligence agency Mossad, told CBS News that this is a dangerous moment for the region and that she is “most concerned” that she ever was. She added that concern about all-out war was probably equally strong “on both sides, in Israel and Iran.”

If Iran chooses to strike Israel directly, it could involve a complex missile and drone attack similar to that launched by Iranian forces against a Saudi oil facility in 2019.

“They will try to do it on the military or some military assets,” Shine predicted. “But the question will be about the damage. If there were a lot of casualties, deaths or injuries… I think it could lead to a huge escalation.”

Iranians stand in front of an anti-US and anti-Israel banner during a rally commemorating International Quds Day, also known as Jerusalem Day, during the funeral of members of the IRGC Quds Force killed in an Israeli airstrike in Syria, in Tehran. , Iran, April 5, 2024. Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto/Getty

Shine stressed, however, that she still believes neither side really wants a regional conflict.

The United States is 'really trying to avoid war'

The United States this week sent a top general to Israel to coordinate with its close ally any response it might make to an Iranian attack. Speaking Friday on “CBS Mornings,” America's top military officer said, “we're really trying to avoid war.”

“This is part of the dialogue I have with my counterparts in the region, including the Israeli defense chief, with whom I spoke yesterday,” Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Charles Q. Brown said. Jr., adding that the U.S. military was “doing things not only to prevent a war, but at the same time, one of my main jobs was to make sure that all the forces in the region were protected” .

“My role as chairman of the Joint Chiefs is to plan and prepare,” Brown said. “It’s something we do very well.”

Brown's Israeli counterpart, Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, “has completed a comprehensive situational assessment of the IDF's readiness for all scenarios,” said Friday l Israeli army.

“The IDF is very well prepared, both offensively and defensively, against any threat,” Halevi said in the statement. “The IDF continues to closely monitor what is happening in Iran and in different arenas, constantly preparing to confront existing and potential threats in coordination with the US armed forces.”

The Israeli military said visiting U.S. Central Command chief Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla was participating in the Israeli military's assessment of the situation.

The dilemma for Iran, said Israeli expert Shine, is how to deliver the promised response to the Israeli attack in Syria, but in a way that does not lead to further escalation. Likewise, Shine said Israel could choose to exercise restraint when reacting to what Iran eventually does.

If either side strikes the wrong balance, the consequences for the region, and even the world, could be disastrous.

Weijia Jiang, David Martin, Margaret Brennan and Olivia Gazis contributed reporting.

Israel and Hamas at war More More Debora Patta

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