The US embassy in Israel told its employees to return home and be prepared to enter bomb shelters as the White House warned of an imminent attack from Iran.
The warning comes a day after Israeli forces launched a ground invasion of southern Lebanon on Monday night aimed at crippling the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia there.
Now, Iran is preparing to “imminently” launch a ballistic missile attack on Israel, the White House warned, adding that such action would have “serious consequences.”
“The United States has indications that Iran is preparing to imminently launch a ballistic missile attack against Israel,” a senior administration official told DailyMail.com.
‘We are actively supporting defensive preparations to defend Israel against this attack. A direct military attack by Iran against Israel will have serious consequences for Iran.’
The US embassy warned its staff in Israel to prepare to head to bomb shelters.
The order from the US Embassy, the first of its kind in months, indicates the seriousness of the situation.
Three Israeli officials told the New York Times that the attack would involve unmanned drones and missiles fired toward Israel.
The US warning came around noon Israel time, which was 5 a.m. ET, an Israeli official told Axios.
The attack raises the possibility of an all-out war between the two bitter enemies, who have waged a shadow war for years as Tehran sought to destroy Israel and Israel sought to curb Iran’s nuclear program.
Iran launched a direct attack on Israel in April, but few missiles hit their targets. Many were shot down by a US-led coalition, while others apparently failed to launch or crashed in flight.
But a Western source told Axios that, unlike the April attack, this time Iran is expected to attack Israel only with ballistic missiles that reach Israel within 12 minutes and not with drones or cruise missiles that allow for preparation time. much longer for defense and interception.
Israeli attacks on Lebanon have been increasing as they attempt to eliminate Hezbollah’s top leaders.
For the past year, Hezbollah has been attacking Israel in solidarity with Hamas, the Gaza-based armed group also backed by Iran.
The Pentagon said Monday that the United States was sending a few thousand additional forces to the Middle East to reinforce the 40,000 already in the region and help defend Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement Tuesday that Israel faces “major challenges” as it fights the Iranian axis.
In the videotaped statement, he urged the public to listen to the public safety guidelines of the military’s Home Front Command. He made no direct mention of a missile threat.
Israel Defense Forces spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari stated that Israeli officials had received the intelligence update from Washington but that no air threats from Iran had yet been detected.
He said Israel and its allies are in a “high state of readiness” and that any attack by Iran would have repercussions, while the US embassy in Jerusalem ordered its employees and families to “shelter in place.”
A large-scale attack by Iran against Israel could trigger an all-out war in the Middle East, and experts warn that any such escalation would likely cause the United States to come to Israel’s defense.
Israeli soldiers in a moving armored vehicle in northern Israel near the Israel-Lebanon border
A view of damaged buildings following Israeli attacks on the Laylaki and Haret Hireyk neighborhood of the Dahieh region in Beirut, Lebanon
Fears of an Iranian attack increased as the Israeli military warned residents of more than two dozen Lebanese border communities to immediately evacuate their homes after announcing the start of ground operations against Hezbollah last night.
IDF spokesman Avichay Adraee told Lebanese citizens to flee north of the Awali River, about 60 kilometers (36 miles) from the border, raising fears that the IDF could try to send its forces south of the Lebanon or increase the intensity of air strikes.
“You should head north of the Awali River to safety and leave your homes immediately,” the statement said.
