U.S. issues travel warning for Israel with Iran attack believed to be imminent and fear Gaza war could spread

Tel Aviv – Israel is preparing for the worst-case scenario that US officials think could materialize in a few hours – the The possibility of a direct attack on Israeli soil by Iran in retaliation for a strike nearly two weeks ago that killed seven Iranian military officers. Iran has vowed revenge for Israel killing its commanders, who were hit by an April 1 attack on the Iranian embassy in Syria’s capital.

Two US officials told CBS News that a major Iranian strike against Israel was expected as soon as Friday, possibly including more than 100 drones and dozens of missiles aimed at military targets in the country. Sources told CBS News that the retaliation could include attacks carried out by either Iranian forces or proxy groups around the region that he canned additional weapons for weeks.

The officials said it would be challenging for the Israelis to defend against an attack of that magnitude, and while they raised the possibility that the Iranians might opt ​​for a smaller-scale attack to avoid a dramatic escalation, their recovery was thought imminent. .

Asked on Friday how imminent he believes an attack is, President Biden replied: “I don’t want to go into secure information, but my expectation is sooner rather than later.” The president urged Iran not to go ahead, saying his message to Tehran was: “Don’t do it.”

Tehran has not publicly indicated how or when it will return fire, so it is unclear how far Iranian leaders will go. If they decide to make a direct attack on Israel, there is a fear that it could defeat the Israelis ongoing war against Iran’s ally Hamas in a much wider regional conflict.

With Iranian retaliation expected at any time, the US State Department on Thursday warned the Americans in Israel to not travel outside major cities, which are better protected from incoming missile fire by the country’s Iron Dome missile defense system. The latest guide noted that travel by US government employees to Israel could be further restricted with little notice as things develop in the tinderbox region.

“Whoever hurts us, we will hurt them,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Thursday as he visited troops at an Israel Defense Forces air base. “We’re ready … both defensively and offensively.”

Sima Shine, a security expert and former officer of Israel’s national intelligence agency Mossad, told CBS News that it was a dangerous moment for the region, and the “most worried” it has been. She said anxiety about an all-out war was likely to be high “on both sides, in Israel and in Iran.”

If Iran chooses to attack Israel directly, it could involve a complex missile and similar drone attack on Iranian forces. launched 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 the damage. If there would be many people injured, killed or injured … I think it has the potential for a huge escalation.”

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

US ‘really trying to avoid war’

The United States is sending a senior general to Israel this week to coordinate with the close American ally on any possible response to an Iranian attack. Speaking Friday on “CBS Mornings,” America’s top military official said, “We’re really trying to avoid war.”

“This is part of the dialogue I have with my counterparts in the region, to include the Israeli defense chief, with whom I spoke yesterday,” said the chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr., adding that the US military was “doing things not only to prevent a war, but at the same time, one of my primary things is to ensure that all the forces in the region are protected “.

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

Brown’s Israeli counterpart, Chief of Staff General Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, “completed a comprehensive situational assessment on the IDF’s preparedness for all scenarios,” the Israeli military said on Friday.

“The IDF is very firmly prepared, both offensively and defensively, against any threat,” Halevi was quoted as saying in the statement. “The IDF continues to closely monitor what is happening in Iran and in various arenas, constantly preparing to deal with existing and potential threats in coordination with the United States Armed Forces.”

The IDF said that the visiting general of the United States, the head of the Central Command Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, participated in the assessment of the IDF situation.

The dilemma for Iran, said Israeli expert Shine, is to understand how to give its promised response to Israel’s attack in Syria, but in a way that does not lead to further escalation. Similarly, Shine said Israel could choose to show restraint when responding to whatever Iran eventually does.

If one or the other side gets it wrong, the consequences for the region, and even the world, could be pronounced.

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