The United States is bracing for a potential Iranian strike against Israel in the near future, with the Biden administration taking proactive measures to bolster its defenses and prevent escalation.
On Monday, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris received a briefing from the national security team on the growing threats posed by Iran and its proxy forces to Israel and American service members in the region. The White House confirmed that the administration is committed to supporting Israel’s defense against any potential attack.
Iran has vowed to retaliate against Israel following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in Tehran last week while attending the Iranian president’s inauguration. The exact nature of the planned attack remains unclear, but the US is taking a cautious approach, deploying additional military assets to the region.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered the deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group to the Europe and Middle East area, replacing the USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group. Additional ballistic missile defense-capable cruisers and destroyers have also been dispatched to the region, along with an extra fighter squadron. The US has also increased its readiness to deploy land-based ballistic missile defense systems.
Meanwhile, US Central Command chief Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla is in Israel, meeting with his counterparts to discuss the growing tensions. President Biden has also spoken with King Abdullah II of Jordan, emphasizing the need to de-escalate regional tensions.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken has urged all parties in the Middle East to refrain from further escalation, warning that it would only lead to more conflict, violence, and insecurity. “We are engaged in intense diplomacy around the clock, with a simple message: all parties must take steps to ease tensions,” he said.
Iran’s proxies, including Hamas, Hezbollah, and militias in Iraq and Syria, have carried out numerous attacks against US military personnel and Israel in recent months. Israel has responded with strikes against Iranian targets, including a consulate in Syria, which killed a senior Iranian commander.
The US has also come under attack, with its forces at Al Asad Air Base in Iraq being targeted on Monday, resulting in reported casualties. The White House confirmed that the President and Vice President were briefed on the attack and discussed measures to defend US forces and respond to any future attacks.
The region has seen a significant escalation in violence since Hamas’s October 7 attack in Israel, which killed over 1,200 people. US forces in Iraq and Syria have come under attack more than 170 times since then, with militias killing three US troops at a small base in northeast Jordan in late January.
