White House: The threat of an imminent attack by the Iranian government on Israel is 'real and credible'

On Friday, April 12, the White House referred to the threat of an imminent attack by the Islamic Republic on Israel as 'real and credible', emphasizing the United States' commitment to defend Israel and protect American citizens and interests. John Kirby, the White House Coordinator for Strategic Communications, added during a press conference that the U.S. is assessing its forces in the region in light of the threats from the Islamic Republic and is closely monitoring the situation. Regarding the Iranian threats against Israel, he stated, 'We are certainly paying attention to the public threats made by Iranian officials regarding an attack on Israel, and we consider them a very credible threat from Iran. We maintain continuous communication with our Israeli counterparts to ensure they can defend themselves against such attacks.' He refrained from providing details about discussions between U.S. and Israeli officials or intelligence sources, but asserted that the U.S. believes this 'remains a credible threat.' This senior media official of the National Security Council stated that, in this context, General Michael Kurilla, the head of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), has traveled to Israel to discuss with Israeli military commanders their readiness to counter the threats from the Iranian government. Kirby continued, 'We are closely monitoring the situation; President Joe Biden's national security team updates him several times a day on the latest developments in the Middle East.' According to John Kirby, Biden has emphasized to his national security team that protecting Israel's security is very serious for him. He stated that while closely monitoring the threats from the Islamic Republic, the U.S. is also prepared to protect the lives of its citizens and interests in the region. However, Kirby stressed that the primary target of Iran's threats is Israel. Kirby did not specify details, stating that changes in the U.S. military posture are made in response to evolving threats. Regarding a potential U.S. response to an attack from Iranian proxy groups, rather than Iran itself, he said, 'We have known for years and have said that these proxy groups can only carry out such actions with the support of the Iranian government.' Kirby cited the attacks by Iranian proxy groups on U.S. forces and facilities in Iraq and Syria, as well as Houthi attacks, stating, 'Although these groups pull the trigger, the bullets of their weapons are provided by Iran. Therefore, Iran is certainly culpable; Iran is definitely responsible for these types of attacks, and we have responded to these attacks.' Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House spokesperson, emphasized during a press conference on Thursday, April 11, regarding the possibility of a retaliatory attack by the Islamic Republic in response to the alleged Israeli attack on its consulate in Damascus, that the U.S. does not want the conflicts in the region to escalate. She added, 'It is clear that we do not want this conflict to escalate. We have made it very clear to Iran that we did not interfere in the Damascus attack. We informed Iran of this and warned them not to use this attack as a pretext to escalate tensions further in the region or to attack U.S. facilities or personnel. I will not go into details, but we have stated our position very clearly.' The White House spokesperson continued, 'You heard the President's concerns during the press conference yesterday. He emphasized that our support for Israel—especially in the face of recent threats from the Iranian government—is always ironclad.' In response to a question about the possibility of joint U.S. operations with its partners against Iran, she said, 'Without going into hypotheticals, we have conveyed our position very clearly to Iran. We have made it clear that we support Israel's security. There has been no change in our position, and I will not go into operational details.' Some media outlets have reported that coordinating the U.S. and Israeli response to potential Iranian attacks is a primary goal of this senior U.S. military official in the region. Joe Biden emphasized on Thursday, April 11, during a White House press conference that U.S. support for Israel's security is 'ironclad' and conveyed this to the Israeli Prime Minister in their latest contact. The imminent possibility of an attack on Israel was reported by CBS News, citing two U.S. officials, stating that the Islamic Republic may carry out a large-scale attack against Israel on Friday. According to these two officials, the Islamic Republic may launch over 100 drones and dozens of missiles at military targets within Israel. They added that it would be difficult for Israel to defend itself against such a large-scale attack. They noted that while the Islamic Republic may conduct a smaller-scale attack to prevent a broader escalation of conflicts, a retaliatory attack by the Iranian government on Israel is 'imminent.' In this context, Sima Shine, a former member of the Israeli Mossad, described the situation in the region as 'dangerous' in an interview with CBS, stating that she has never been this worried. This former Mossad official suggested that if the Iranian government intends to attack Israel directly, it may use a series of missiles and drones, similar to the attack five years ago on Saudi Arabian oil facilities. Sima Shine believes that in the event of an attack, the Islamic Republic will likely target military objectives in Israel, and if many Israeli citizens are killed or injured during this attack, there is a possibility of a broader escalation of conflicts. According to this former Mossad member, while neither Iran nor Israel desires a regional war, a miscalculation by either country regarding the existing balance could have severe consequences for the region and the world. Israel is preparing for a direct attack from the Islamic Republic. Bloomberg reported on Friday, citing 'sources familiar with Western intelligence assessments,' that Israel is preparing for an 'unprecedented direct attack' from the Islamic Republic against its state targets. According to these individuals, who wished to remain anonymous, one of the main expected scenarios for Israel and its allies is an attack by the Islamic Republic from Iranian territory against Israel. These intelligence sources added that the Islamic Republic may carry out its attacks using drones and precision missiles within the next 48 hours. They noted that the United States, while intensifying its diplomatic activities to de-escalate tensions, is also preparing defenses and has moved additional military assets to the region. Two of these sources told Bloomberg that while Iran, Israel, and the U.S. may exaggerate in their rhetoric, Israel and its allies assume that an attack by the Islamic Republic on this country is 'imminent.' They stated that significant activity is taking place through backchannel diplomatic channels. The Wall Street Journal also reported on Thursday, April 11, citing a U.S. official, that 'Israel is preparing for a direct attack from Iran to the south or north of Israel based on information received from the United States.' The newspaper also cited an individual described as a 'source close to the Iranian leadership,' stating that discussions about attack plans are ongoing in Iran, but no final decision has been made yet. The Wall Street Journal did not identify the U.S. official or the Iranian source. During the alleged Israeli attack on the Islamic Republic's consulate in Damascus on April 2, seven senior commanders and members of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were killed. Since then, the leader and other officials of the Islamic Republic have threatened retaliation against Israel. Meanwhile, the Israeli army spokesperson announced on Thursday that the military forces of this country are fully prepared for an attack from the Islamic Republic. According to the Israeli website 'Times of Israel,' Daniel Hagari stated that Israel is 'on high alert and very prepared for various scenarios, and we are constantly assessing the situation.' Referring to General Michael Kurilla, the head of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), who has arrived in Israel, he stated, 'We are prepared for attack and defense using various capabilities of the Israeli army and also with our strategic partners.' Amid ongoing threats from the leader and other officials of the Islamic Republic, Joe Biden emphasized on Wednesday, April 10, that U.S. support for Israel's security is 'ironclad' and conveyed this to the Israeli Prime Minister in their latest contact. Additionally, Antony Blinken, the U.S. Secretary of State, has urged the Islamic Republic to back down and has sent messages to Tehran through various countries, stating that increasing tensions is not in the interest of any country, including Iran itself. Meanwhile, David Cameron, the British Foreign Secretary, wrote on social media 'X' that he has contacted Hossein Amirabdollahian, the Iranian Foreign Minister, stating that the rulers of Iran should not drag the Middle East into a wider conflict. He has deemed the possibility of an unintentional outbreak of conflict by either side as likely and advised the Islamic Republic to take steps in the opposite direction, namely to reduce tensions. Annalena Baerbock, the German Foreign Minister, also called for 'maximum restraint' from all parties and urged against escalating tensions in a phone conversation with her Iranian counterpart. The German Foreign Ministry posted on 'X' quoting her, 'Preventing further regional escalation is in everyone's interest. We call on all actors in the region to act with maximum responsible restraint.' Meanwhile, Russia, which has close relations with the Islamic Republic, has only warned about travel to the Middle East.