US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Photo: Violeta Santos Moura/ Reuters
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Sunday told his American counterpart Lloyd Austin about Iran’s preparations for a large-scale military operation against Israel, which could begin in the coming days. The alarming message came amid heightened tensions between the two countries, sources in the intelligence community told Reuters and Axios.
A press release issued by Gallant’s ministry on Monday confirmed that the minister and his American counterpart had a telephone conversation to discuss operational and strategic coordination between the US and Israel in the face of the growing Iranian threat.
Two informed sources told Axios on condition of anonymity that Israeli intelligence has identified Iran’s intention to launch an attack on Israeli soil in response to the recent assassination of a Hamas political leader in Tehran. According to their estimates, the military operation can be launched in a few days.
The threat comes amid preparations for another round of talks between Israel and Hamas, due to take place this week. The negotiations are aimed at achieving a truce in the Gaza Strip in exchange for the release of Israeli hostages. If Iran launches an attack, it could derail peace initiatives that Israeli officials have already described as “all or nothing.”
Last Friday, Iranian media quoted the deputy commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard as saying that the country plans to follow Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s order to “severely punish” Israel for killing the Hamas leader in late July.
In response to the escalation of the situation, on Sunday, the Pentagon announced the decision to send the submarine USS Georgia, equipped with guided missiles, to the Middle East. Although the submarine had already been in the Mediterranean since July, the public announcement of its deployment was a rare and important signal.
After the phone conversation with Gallant, the Pentagon said that Secretary Austin ordered to accelerate the deployment of a strike group led by the aircraft carrier “Abraham Lincoln” in the region. The statement emphasized that the United States has an obligation to defend Israel and strengthen its military position throughout the Middle East amid rising tensions.
The US military also announced plans to send additional fighter jets and warships to the Middle East to bolster Israel’s defenses amid possible threats from Iran.
