Israel braces for possible Iran attack amid rising tensions
9:33 AM EDT, August 5, 2024
Israel is preparing for a possible attack from Iran. According to media reports, Ministers have issued satellite phones, and a bunker has been readied for key figures in the country. A new alarm system for the population has also been tested, and the Ministry of Transportation is organizing flights for those stranded due to canceled flights.
The situation in the Middle East is the most tense it has been in months, threatening further escalation of the ongoing conflict between Israel, Iran, and their allies, including Palestinian Hamas, Lebanese Hezbollah, and the Yemeni Houthi movement.
Following Israel's recent strike on Beirut and its alleged attack in Tehran, where senior Hamas and Hezbollah leaders were killed, Iran and its allies have vowed revenge.
The US has announced that it will help Israel repel any potential attack and is increasing its military presence in the Middle East. However, growing concerns exist that the cycle of attacks could lead to a full-scale war. President Joe Biden and American diplomacy emphasize the need to de-escalate tensions.
Full-scale war in the Middle East? Biden's meeting
US President Joe Biden will meet with his national security team on Monday to discuss the situation in the Middle East. American media note that Israel and Iran are increasingly close to escalating mutual armed attacks.
According to the Washington Examiner, US Vice President and presidential candidate for the November elections, Kamala Harris, will also attend the meeting in the Situation Room. Biden is expected to first speak with Jordan's King Abdullah II.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at his cabinet meeting on Sunday that the Jewish state is already in a "multi-front" war with Iran and its allies.
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi also hopes that tensions will not escalate further. "We want the escalation to end," said Safadi, who is in Iran on the first official visit by a high-ranking Jordanian official to the country in more than two decades.