Israel braces for ‘widespread’ Iran missile attack; central Israel told to stay near bomb shelters
Senior White House official says move will carry ‘severe consequences’ for Tehran as US sends more troops to region; Iran said to inform others of size and timing of strike
Lazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
Iran is planning to attack Israel “imminently” with ballistic missiles, a senior White House official told The Times of Israel on Tuesday afternoon, with Israeli officials saying the anticipated strike could be “widespread” and warning citizens to heed emergency warnings and stay near bomb shelters.
The US official said that “we are actively supporting defensive preparations to defend Israel against this attack.” The official also warned that a direct Iranian attack on Israel “will carry severe consequences for Iran.”
The alert over an Iranian attack came after the IDF launched a limited ground incursion into southern Lebanon overnight.
Amid the warnings, received by Israel earlier in the day, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke of “days of great challenges” ahead. In a video statement, he urged unity in Israel, and asked the public to follow the instructions of the Home Front Command.
He also called his national security cabinet to meet in Jerusalem at 7:30 p.m.
New restrictions announced Tuesday by the IDF’s Home Front Command, seemingly in response to the warnings, shut schools and workplaces that lack adequate access to bomb shelters, ordered beaches closed and restricted gatherings to 30 people outdoors and 300 people indoors.
In the evening, the Home Front Command issued new instructions to residents of the central area of Israel, known as Gush Dan, warning them to remain “nearby” a bomb shelter or other protected area until further notice, following reports of an imminent Iranian attack.
IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said that “a short while ago, our American allies updated us that they identify preparations by Iran for imminent missile fire at the State of Israel.”
As of his 5:00 p.m. address, no aerial threats had been launched at Israel from Iran, he said.
“We’ve dealt with this threat in the past, and we’ll deal with it now,” he said.
Hagari said the IDF is ready with its defensive and offensive capabilities. The Air Force is “patrolling the skies.”
“We are at the highest readiness — offensive and defensive,” he said.
“Iranian fire on the State of Israel will have consequences,” he warned. “We have plans and we have capabilities.”
In a later update, he said the anticipated missile fire from Iran was likely to be large-scale.
“We are following the threat seriously. We ask the public to follow the Home Front Command guidelines. The fire from Iran could be wide in scope,” he said in a press conference.
“When a siren sounds, you are asked to enter a protected area and stay there until we notify you otherwise,” Hagari added.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi held a situation assessment with senior IDF officers, according to the Defense Ministry.
A US military official told The New York Times that the attack would likely occur overnight.
Three Israeli officials quoted anonymously by the outlet said that Iran would likely target three military air bases, and “an intelligence headquarters north of Tel Aviv,” which it said has been evacuated.
The US believes that a potential attack from Iran would be similar to the attack launched by Tehran in April, CNN reported, citing a US official.
Iran informed “international parties” of the size and timing of its anticipated attack on Israel, a US Defense Department official told Sky News Arabia.
Iran launched over 300 missiles and drones in April, but Israel, the US, and Western and Arab allies shot down almost all the projectiles.
The US embassy in Jerusalem issued a security warning telling its employees and their families “to shelter in place until further notice.”
US boosting forces in the region
Also Tuesday, the Pentagon said the US was boosting its forces in the Middle East by a “few thousand” troops, by bringing in new units while extending others that are already there.
“A certain number of units already deployed to the Middle East region… will be extended, and the forces due to rotate into theater to replace them will now instead augment” those that are already there, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told journalists on Monday.
“These augmented forces include F-16, F-15E, A-10, F-22 fighter aircraft and associated personnel,” Singh said, later adding that there will be “an additional few thousand” personnel in the region as a result.
The US Central Command announced Tuesday that three additional squadrons of warplanes were arriving in the region, while one was already present.
In April, Iran launched over 300 missiles and drones at Israel in response to the killing of two senior army generals in a Damascus strike that Tehran blamed on Israel.
The wave was intercepted by Israeli air defenses alongside a major US-led coalition of regional forces that included British and French warplanes, as well as, reportedly, intelligence and radar resources from some Arab nations. A few missiles made it through the shield causing very minor damage at an air base, though a young Bedouin girl was seriously injured by falling shrapnel from an intercept.
AFP contributed to this report.
