The Biden administration believes that an Iranian attack on Israel is imminent, according to a Bloomberg report released Wednesday.
The dramatic escalation would come days after a strike on an Iranian mission in Damascus killed a top Iranian commander and other IRGC officials. Iran has blamed Israel for the attack and vowed to retaliate.
The Israeli military has been on “heightened” alert for possible attacks from Iran in the aftermath of the assassination, although it has not publicly claimed responsibility for the deadly Damascus strike. The Israeli Defense Forces have been preparing for a possible strike from Tehran by boosting air defenses, jamming GPS, and canceling leave for soldiers in combat units.
The attack could come in the form of missile or drone strikes against Israeli government sites, Bloomberg reported. The attack could come from Iran or from its proxies in the region, according to Bloomberg.
As the situation threatened to spiral, Germany’s Lufthansa airline announced Wednesday that it is canceling flights to and from Tehran “due to the current situation in the Middle East.”
“We are constantly monitoring the situation in the Middle East and are in close contact with the authorities. The safety of our guests and crew members is Lufthansa’s top priority,” a spokesperson said, according to Reuters.
The White House National Security Council declined to comment.
President Joe Biden said Wednesday that Iran is threatening a “significant attack on Israel.” He added in his remarks that the United States’ commitment to Israel is “iron-clad.”
“As I told Prime Minister Netanyahu, our commitment to Israel’s security against these threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad. Let me say it again, ironclad. We’re gonna do all we can to protect Israel’s security,” the president said.
Iranian officials have signaled for months a hesitation to trigger an all-out war with Israel despite frequent attacks in recent months by Iranian-backed proxies, such as Hezbollah and the Houthis in Yemen.
Earlier on Wednesday, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reiterated that he believes Israel should be punished for the attack in Damascus.
“When the Zionist regime attacks an Iranian consulate in Syria, it is as if it has attacked Iranian soil. That malicious regime has made a wrong move. It should be punished, and it will be punished,” Khamenei said on Twitter.
Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Israel Katz later tweeted at Khamenei with a warning that if Iran attacks Israel, Israel will respond in kind.
“If Iran attacks from its territory, Israel will react and attack in Iran,” Katz said.
