Iran could launch a “significant” attack on Israel as soon as this week, the White House said Monday, as US President Joe Biden discussed the crisis with European leaders.
“We have to be prepared for what could be a significant set of attacks,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters.
“We share the same concerns and expectations that our Israeli counterparts have with respect to potential timing here — could be this week,” added Kirby.
Kirby’s comments came as the United States is rushing an aircraft carrier strike group and a guided missile submarine to the region in a show of support for Israel.
Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah group have vowed to avenge last month’s killings of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr.
Biden called the leaders of France, Germany, Italy and Britain on Monday to discuss the growing tensions, the White House added.
The call was “largely for all the leaders to repeat what they have said before in terms of reaffirming Israel’s defense” and to “send a strong message that we don’t want to see any rise in violence, any attacks by Iran or its proxies.”
The leaders also called for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, with difficult talks set for Thursday on halting the conflict that started when the Palestinian group attacked Israel on October 7.
Meanwhile the US confirmed Monday it would resume sales of offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia, as concerns over human rights in the kingdom’s Yemen war give way to US hopes for it to play a role in resolving the conflict in Gaza.
More than three years after imposing limits on human rights grounds over Saudi strikes in Yemen, the State Department said it would return to weapons sales “in regular order, with appropriate congressional notification and consultation.”
“Saudi Arabia has remained a close strategic partner of the United States, and we look forward to enhancing that partnership,” State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters.
US President Joe Biden took office in 2021 pledging a new approach to Saudi Arabia that emphasized human rights, and immediately announced that the administration would only send “defensive” weaponry to the longtime US arms customer.
The step came after thousands of civilians — including children — were estimated to be killed in Saudi-led airstrikes against Iranian-backed Huthi rebels, who have taken over much of Yemen.
Geopolitical considerations have, however, changed markedly since then. The United Nations, with US support, brokered a truce in Yemen in early 2022 that has largely held.
Since the truce, “there has not been a single Saudi airstrike into Yemen and cross-border fire from Yemen into Saudi Arabia has largely stopped,” Patel said.
“The Saudis since that time have met their end of the deal, and we are prepared to meet ours,” Patel said. AFP
