Iran has warned the US to stay out of its way as it prepares to respond to a suspected attack by Israel on its consulate in Syria, while its main proxy in the Middle East, Hezbollah, has signalled its readiness for war.
In a written message to Washington, Iran cautioned the US not to be drawn into Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s alleged ploy, urging the US to “step aside so that you don’t get hit.” The US has not publicly responded to the alleged message.
CNN reported that the US is on high alert and preparing for a “significant” response from Iran against Israeli or American targets in the region, citing an unnamed US official. NBC, citing two unnamed US officials, said the Biden administration is concerned that any attack could be directed at “military or intelligence targets, rather than civilians.”
Iran has vowed to retaliate against Israel, its arch-nemesis, but it remains unclear when or how this will happen. Iran could choose to attack Israel directly or through one of its proxy groups, such as Hezbollah, based in Lebanon, reported Bloomberg.
The airstrike in Damascus targeted the Iranian consulate, killing at least seven Iranians, including two generals. This was the first time an attack has struck an Iranian diplomatic building in Syria. Israel has been on high alert since the attack, calling up reserves, cancelling home leave for combat troops, and bolstering air defences.
Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, has said that a response from Iran is imminent, but his group will not interfere in such decisions. He also highlighted the coordinated work of Iran’s resistance groups in the region.
Hezbollah, the Middle East’s most powerful militia, has not used its primary arsenal in the daily skirmishes with Israel along the southern border of Lebanon since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7. However, Nasrallah has emphasized that the group is “completely prepared and ready” for any war with Israel.
