Israel is preparing for a large-scale military attack from Iran, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has told his US counterpart. The warning comes as the US orders a nuclear-powered guided-missile submarine to the Middle East and accelerates the arrival of the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group to the region.
The US and allies continue to push for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza to help calm soaring tensions. Israel has been braced for a major attack since last month, when a missile killed 12 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and Israel responded by killing a senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut. The following day, Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran, drawing Iranian vows of retaliation.
Iran’s acting foreign minister Ali Bagheri Kani has said Iran has the “right to an appropriate and deterrent response” against Israel to ensure regional stability. Meanwhile, the leaders of France, Germany and Britain called on Iran and its allies to refrain from retaliatory attacks, endorsing the latest US-, Qatari- and Egyptian-brokered ceasefire proposal.
The proposal would end the 10-month-old war in Gaza, where Israeli forces have killed around 40,000 people according to the Palestinian health ministry. The Hamas attack on 7 October killed about 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel’s Defence Minister Gallant emphasised to US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin the importance of mitigating civilian harm in Gaza.
US Major General Patrick Ryder reiterated America’s commitment to defend Israel and noted the strengthening of US military posture in the Middle East. The Lincoln carrier, equipped with F-35 and F/A-18 fighters, was already ordered to replace the USS Theodore Roosevelt but will now arrive more quickly. The USS Georgia submarine is also heading to the region.
