The United States has banned its embassy staff in Israel from traveling amid rising tension in the Middle East, as it believes Iran may launch an attack. This comes at a time when Iran has promised to avenge an attack on its consulate in Syria that went down in flames and accused Israel of mounting the assault. This also happens when the conflict between Israel and Hamas never really ends.
The US embassy has forbidden its staff from traveling outside the greater Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, or Beersheba areas “out of an abundance of caution.” It’s been 11 days since an attack on Iran’s consulate in Syria that left 13 people dead, including a senior commander of Iran’s elite Quds Force in Syria and Lebanon.
While Israel has not claimed responsibility for the attack on the consulate, it is believed to have been behind the assault. Iran, for its part, backs Hamas, the armed Palestinian group fighting Israel in Gaza, and a plethora of proxy groups across the region, from Hezbollah in Lebanon, which regularly attacks Israel.
Some U.S. officials said that an attack by Iran could come soon, while one official said that an assault would involve over 100 drones, several dozen cruise missiles, and possibly ballistic missiles, all against military targets in Israel.
U.S. President Joe Biden warned of Iran’s threats to launch a “significant attack” against his country amid “ironclad” support for Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu joined the warning, stressing that Israel has to be ready for any security challenge and will retaliate against any country threatening its safety.
The top commander overseeing U.S. operations in the Middle East, Erik Kurilla, arrived in Israel Sunday to discuss security threats with officials there. The Pentagon said the visit had been planned but was hastened because of recent developments.
International calls for restraint have been issued, with the UK Foreign Secretary, Lord Cameron warning that Iran should not be dragged into a wider conflict across the Middle East. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to his counterparts in China, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey to argue that an escalation is in nobody’s interest.
Things are still pretty fluid, with the form of any potential reprisal attack from Iran not clear. It is not clear whether such an attack would come directly from Iran or via one of its proxies. The UK Foreign Office updated its travel advice for Israel amid the tensions, warning of the possibility of an attack from Iran that could trigger wider escalation.