WASHINGTON (AP) — Iran preparing imminent ballistic missile attack on Israel, US official says, warning of 'severe consequences' for Iran.
Israel warned Lebanese people to evacuate border communities Tuesday to avoid harm from limited ground operations it said were launched against Hezbollah, and said it would retaliate if Hezbollah ally Iran launched a missile attack on Israel that a senior U.S. official said could come “imminently.”
The U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the intelligence, warned of “severe consequences” should Iran launch a ballistic missile against Israel. U.S. ships and aircraft are positioned in the region to assist Israel in the event of an attack from Iran.
Israeli military spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said Israel had not identified any launches from Iran as of Tuesday afternoon. Iran’s state media has not suggested an attack is imminent, and Iranian officials could not be immediately reached for comment.
White House officials did not immediately offer any evidence backing the intelligence finding. The official said the administration was confident in the determination.
Iran launched an unprecedented direct attack on Israel in April, but few of its projectiles reached their targets. Many were shot down by a U.S.-led coalition, while others apparently failed at launch or crashed in flight.
While Hezbollah denied Israeli troops had entered Lebanon, the Israeli army announced it had also carried out dozens of ground raids into southern Lebanon going back nearly a year. Israel released video footage purporting to show its soldiers operating in homes and tunnels where Hezbollah kept weapons.
If true, it would be another humiliating blow for Iran-backed Hezbollah, the most powerful armed group in the Middle East. Hezbollah has been reeling from weeks of targeted strikes that killed its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, and several of his top commanders.