Iran was preparing to launch a missile attack on Israel in “an immediate time frame,” according to a US official.
The news comes amid a spiralling situation in the Middle East after Israel launched a ground invasion into Lebanon that it described as “limited”. The IDF said it was moving against Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon.
Axios reporter and CNN Analyst Barak Ravid wrote on X: ” A senior official in the White House tells me: The US has intelligence that Iran intends to launch a missile attack against Israel in the immediate time frame.”
He added: “Official in the White House: “We are actively assisting in military preparations to protect Israel from this Iranian attack. A direct military attack from Iran against Israel would have dire consequences for Iran.”
Following the news, the US Central Command, the military command responsible for the Middle East, said that the US was rushing more fighter jets to the region.
READ MORE: Israel-Lebanon LIVE: Hezbollah launches brutal fireball revenge attack on Tel Aviv
It said: “Three additional aircraft squadrons – F-15E, F-16, and A-10 – are arriving in the region with one squadron having already arrived.”
Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari also confirmed that while no aerial threats from Iran have been identified yet, Israel’s aerial defence systems and warplanes are on high alert.
He added: “Iranian fire on Israel will bring consequences – I won’t elaborate beyond that.”
Both Israel and the US are closely monitoring developments in Iran amid escalating tensions in the region.
The news comes after the U.S. Embassy in Israel issued a high-level alert to its staff in Israel and the Palestinian territories, instructing them to be prepared to enter bomb shelters. This is the first such alert since an Iranian aerial attack on Israel in April.
The situation on the ground in Lebanon also remains volatile. Israeli troops have crossed the border, backed by artillery and air strikes, as they target Hezbollah infrastructure in the southern region.
Hezbollah, meanwhile, has reportedly targeted the Mossad headquarters in Tel Aviv with rocket fire, further intensifying the conflict. A projectile hit near Kfar Qasim, wounding one civilian with shrapnel.
As the Israeli military continues its operations, fears are growing that the conflict could spread further across the region, particularly as Iranian involvement deepens.
Western diplomats involved in de-escalation efforts are cautiously watching the developments, while Israel has called for civilian evacuations near its northern border.