WASHINGTON (NewsNation) — World leaders are urging Iran to refrain from launching an attack on Israel, which top United States officials warn could be “significant.”
The Israel Defense Forces has raised its alert level for the first time this month after receiving intelligence that Iran and Hezbollah are preparing for an attack.
On Monday, British and German leaders spoke to Iran’s president, pushing for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and expressing concern about the risk of a wider regional conflict in the Middle East.
What’s the White House saying about a possible attack?
U.S. officials continue to monitor the situation in the Middle East closely, and National Security Council spokesman John Kirby warned reporters that an attack from Iran or its proxies, like Hezbollah in Lebanon, is becoming increasingly likely and could happen in the coming days.
“Over the past few days, we have been monitoring our enemies and developments in the Middle East, with an emphasis on Hezbollah as well as Iran. We take the declarations and statements of our enemies seriously. Therefore, we are prepared at peak readiness in offense and defense,” said Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, an IDF spokesman.
While there is no indication that an attack is imminent, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is quickly mobilizing the missile-armed submarine USS Georgia and fast-tracking the deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group to the region in a strong show of support for Israel.
Is there any progress on cease-fire negotiations?
U.S. diplomats including CIA Director William Burns may soon travel to the region to intensify cease-fire talks, while President Joe Biden’s top Middle East adviser, Brett McGurk, is expected to join other top European officials in Cairo.
On Monday, Biden spoke by phone with his counterparts in France, the U.K., Germany and Italy, urging them to reaffirm their commitment to Israel’s defense and the need for a cease-fire.
“We fully expected talks to move forward, as they should. All negotiators should return to the table and bring this deal to conclusion. It is, in our view, time for Hamas to release the hostages,” said Vedant Patel, a State Department spokesperson.
Although there is a push for peace in the region, the U.S. will also continue to defend Israel. As one Pentagon source told NewsNation: “We’re doing everything we can to deter aggression, deter conflict, prevent this from becoming a wider war — while at the same time ensuring that we have the capabilities in the region to be able to protect our own forces should Israel be attacked.”
