As Israel is planning for an imminent attack from Iran – Tehran has not yet made a final decision on its plans to attack, the Wall Street Journal reported citing two separate anonymous sources.
Iran has threatened to retaliate for a widely-believed Israeli attack on Damascus less than two weeks ago, which killed several top Iranian military officials.
The US top military commander for the Middle East, CENTCOM Commander Michael Erik Kurilla arrived in Israel on Thursday, to coordinate talks on preparing for a potential attack by Iran.
This week’s US intelligence reports said that an attack on Israeli assets by Tehran or its proxies could be imminent, though the WSJ source says the attack could be within Israel’s borders.
The US Embassy in Israel has meanwhile announced travel restrictions for its diplomatic personnel and their families, confining them to central Israel, Jerusalem, and Beersheba until further notice.
This week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking from a southern Israeli air base, has reiterated Israel's unwavering resolve to retaliate against any aggression.
“Whoever harms us, we will harm them. We are prepared to meet all of the security needs of the State of Israel, both defensively and offensively,” he said.
Reportedly, while Iran weighs its options, various scenarios are being considered, including a direct assault using sophisticated medium-range missiles, as disclosed by an adviser to the Iranian paramilitary force.
The international community is actively working to prevent further escalation, as foreign ministers from Germany and the UK have called on Tehran to avoid attacking Israel, officials from both countries confirm.
