US fears ‘major’ Iranian attack on Israel ‘this week’

For his part, the Iranian president believes that Tehran has the “right to respond” to any aggression against his country.

The threat of an Iranian offensive against Israel is growing. The United States believes that Tehran could launch “this week” a “series of significant attacks” against the Hebrew state, announced Monday, August 12, a spokesman for the White House National Security Council, John Kirby.

He said the issue was discussed during a meeting between President Joe Biden and the leaders of France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom. In a joint statement on Monday, they “call on Iran to renounce its threats of a military attack against Israel”.

Washington “share the concern” Israel about an imminent attack from Iran and Tehran’s allied groups in the region, Kirby said. He acknowledged that if such an attack were to occur, “This could certainly have an impact on the discussions” planned for Thursday on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, accompanied by the release of Israeli hostages held there.

For his part, the Iranian president affirmed that his country had the “right to reply” to any aggression, during a telephone conversation with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, urged him to avoid an escalation in the Middle East. “While emphasizing the resolution of problems through negotiation, Iran will never yield to pressure, sanctions, and coercion.“, Massoud Pezeshkian said according to a statement published by the official Irna agency.

Tehran and its regional allies in Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen have been threatening Israel with armed reprisals since the assassination on July 31 in the Iranian capital of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, which they blamed on Israel, and that, the day before, of Fouad Shokr, the military leader of the pro-Iranian Lebanese Hezbollah, killed in an Israeli strike near Beirut.