(DailyAnswer.org) – President Joe Biden and his national security advisers sat in the Situation Room to discuss a potential upcoming strike against Israel by Iranian forces and their allies after a Hamas leader was assassinated in Tehran with Israel presumed responsible. Vice President Kamala Harris was also in attendance, but she left early for reasons unspecified by officials.
The meeting followed just one day after Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin conferred with his Israeli counterpart and affirmed U.S. support for the Zionist state after threats emerged from Iranian officials in response to an attack in Tehran which killed Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh.
Additional tensions have been boiling with Hezbollah in Lebanon after Israel killed Fuad Shukr, a top military commander in the organization. Shukr was killed in Beirut by an Israeli airstrike around the same time as Haniyeh. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said they would retaliate and a drone swarm was launched toward Israeli military outposts in the northern part of the country along with a barrage of missiles.
The Israeli war with Hamas in Gaza has continued with no end in sight. The result is increasing instability in the region with Iranian-backed militias and militaries in allied nations openly attacking Israel or other western interests in the region.
The U.S. has several assets nearby including carrier strike groups in the Red Sea. Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, head of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) arrived in Israel on Monday, August 5. He’s expected to help coordinate the defense from any potential Iranian strike.
Iran previously launched a major drone and missile strike on Israel in April after vowing to do so in response to an Israeli attack on its embassy in Syria which resulted in several dead Iranian officials. The attack by Iran was largely ineffective with many drones failing to take off or hit their targets. Most of the weapons were destroyed by a combination of Israeli defenses and aid from western allies.
Hezbollah and Israel have been exchanging fire along the northern border for months. The war in Gaza sprung up in response to a Hamas-led attack on Israel last year which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 Israelis, international civilians, and over 250 hostages being taken. Despite attempts at brokering a ceasefire and resolution to the conflict, the war rages on and continues to expand.
Copyright 2024, DailyAnswer.org
