Iran can attack Israel prior to Monday morning: US officials

The Israeli and US officials have warned that Iran could attack Israel prior to Monday morning, US media reported.

They added that they think both Iran and Hezbollah are still working on finalizing their military plans and approving them at the political level.

US and Israeli officials said they don’t know if Iran and Hezbollah will conduct a coordinated attack or operate separately.

US President Joe Biden is hopeful that Iran will stand down amid escalating tension with Israel after the assassination of Hamas Chief Ismail Haniyeh in Iran.

According to Reuters, tension in the region rose after Haniyeh was killed in Iran’s capital Tehran, a day after the Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr was killed by an Israeli strike in Lebanon, escalating fear of wider Middle East conflict.

Hamas and Iran both blamed Israel for the killing of the Hamas leader, and the supreme leader of Iran vowed to avenge his death.

Biden was asked by the reports on Saturday, August 3, whether Iran would stand down. He said, “I hope so. I don’t know.”

Hezbollah on late Saturday night fired around 50 rockets from Lebanon to the northern Israeli region, Galilee.

Hezbollah also claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement and said that it was a response to the Israeli strikes in the two villages of south Lebanon, which claimed two lives.