Iran Claims It Warned Before Attacking Israel; U.S. Denies This Claim

According to Reuters, officials from Turkey, Jordan, and Iraq said on Sunday that Iran informed them a few days before its drone and missile attack on Israel. However, U.S. officials stated that Tehran did not warn Washington and intended to inflict significant damage. On Saturday, the Iranian government launched hundreds of drones and missiles in a retaliatory attack following an alleged Israeli strike on a building near its embassy in Syria. Most of the drones and missiles were shot down before reaching Israeli territory, although a young girl was seriously injured, raising widespread concerns about further escalation of the conflict. Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, the Iranian Foreign Minister, stated on Sunday that Iran warned neighboring countries and Israel's ally, the United States, 72 hours before the attack that they would carry out these strikes. The Turkish Foreign Ministry announced that it had communicated with Washington and Tehran before the attack and acted as a mediator to convey messages to ensure a 'proportional' response. A Turkish diplomatic source told Reuters, 'Iran said this reaction would be a response to Israel's attack on its embassy in Damascus and would not go beyond that. We were aware of the possibilities. The developments were not surprising.' However, a senior official in the Biden administration denied Amir-Abdollahian's statements, saying that Washington had been in contact with Iran through Swiss intermediaries but had not received any information 72 hours prior. The official stated, 'This claim is absolutely false. They did not inform [the U.S.] of anything and showed no signs that these would be targets, so evacuate there.' The U.S. official told Reuters that Tehran only messaged the U.S. after the attacks began, stating that the attacks would be 'very destructive,' adding that Iran's claim of widespread warning might be an attempt to compensate for the lack of any significant damage from the attack. The U.S. received a message from the Iranians through Switzerland indicating that, from their perspective, the attack was over, while the assault was still ongoing. Iraqi, Turkish, and Jordanian officials each stated that Iran had provided them with initial warnings about the attack last week, including some details. The Islamic Republic's attack on Israel with drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles posed a risk of significant casualties and escalation of the conflict. U.S. officials on Friday and Saturday indicated that they expected an imminent attack and urged Iran not to proceed, while Biden's explicit message to Tehran was simply: 'Don't.' Two Iraqi sources, including a government security advisor and another security official, stated that Iran used diplomatic channels to inform Baghdad at least three days before the attack. The exact timing of the attack was not disclosed at that moment, but hours before the assaults, Iraqi security and military officials were informed so that Baghdad could close its airspace and prevent deadly incidents. The Iraqi security official stated, 'The government clearly understood through Iranian officials that the U.S. military in Iraq was also aware of this attack beforehand.' A senior Jordanian official said that Iran summoned Arab representatives in Tehran on Wednesday to inform them of its intention to carry out an attack, although it did not specify the timing. When asked if Iran provided details about the targets and types of weapons to be used, the Jordanian source did not respond directly but indicated that such topics were included in the messages. An Iranian source familiar with the matter also told Reuters that Iran informed the U.S. through diplomatic channels, including Qatar, Turkey, and Switzerland, about the planned day of the attack, stating that it would be conducted in a way to avoid provoking a reaction. The extent to which tensions can be prevented from escalating remains in question. This U.S. official stated that Biden told Israel that the United States would not join any retaliatory actions by Israel. Israeli Minister Benny Gantz stated on Sunday that, nevertheless, Israel would assess its response and 'Iran will pay the price for its actions in a manner and timing appropriate to us.'