Secretary of State Tony Blinken informed his G7 counterparts on Sunday that Iran and Hezbollah might launch an attack on Israel as soon as Monday, three sources familiar with the call told Axios.
Blinken convened the conference call to coordinate with key US allies and implement last-minute diplomatic pressure on Iran and Hezbollah to limit their retaliation. He emphasized that containing the extent of their attacks is the best way to avoid a full-scale war.
This came after Hezbollah and Iran vowed to respond to Hamas Political leader Ismail Haniyeh’s assassination by Israel in Tehran.
Currently, the United States is making efforts to limit the attacks by Hezbollah and Iran and then restrain the Israeli retaliation. He asked other foreign ministers to insist Iran, Hezbollah and Israel maintain maximum restraint diplomatically.
The US forces are being boosted in the region for defensive purposes amid Iran and Hezbollah’s warning to Israel, sources told Axios.
The G7 ministers, in an official statement, told Blinken, “We express our deep concern over the heightened level of tension in the Middle East which threatens to ignite a broader conflict in the region.”
“We urge all involved parties to refrain from perpetuating the current destructive cycle of retaliatory violence, to lower tensions and engage constructively towards de-escalation. No country or nation stands to gain from further escalation in the Middle East,” they added.
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General Michael Kurilla, the commander of US Central Command, is scheduled to arrive in Israel on Monday to complete preparations with the Israel Defense Forces in anticipation of a potential attack by Iran and Hezbollah.
Meanwhile, Israel braced for a possible attack from Iran and regional militias in retaliation for assassinations of Hezbollah and Hamas officials as the US sent defensive reinforcements while pressing for a Gaza cease-fire deal.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the start of a cabinet meeting Sunday that “Israel is in a multifront war against Iran’s axis of evil. We are striking every one of its arms with great force. We are prepared for any scenario – both offensively and defensively.”
Leaders of both Iran and Hezbollah have sworn that the killings last week in Beirut and Tehran would not go unanswered, that red lines had been crossed and attacks were coming.
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