CNN —
The Biden administration is concerned that an attack from Iran is being planned following Israel’s killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and is working with Israel on defense, US officials said Sunday night. revealed.
The official added that preparations are underway for joint defense to avoid attacks due to the change in US military posture.
In mid-April, the Biden administration announced that Israel’s multilateral defense plan was in place when Iran fired more than 300 drones and missiles at Israel in response to Israel’s bombing of Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps leaders in Syria. I took the lead.
U.S. officials declined to say what kind of attack they expected from Iran or what moves the U.S. military might take.
Concerns about wider regional wars in the Middle East as Israel steps up attacks on Lebanon’s Hezbollah and the Iran-backed group vows to continue fighting despite the growing number of killings of its top commander. has been increasing in recent weeks.
“If Iran, its partners, or its proxies seize this opportunity to target U.S. persons or interests in the region, the United States will take all necessary steps to protect its people,” the Pentagon said in a statement Sunday night. We will take measures.”
Pentagon spokesman Gen. Patrick Ryder cited “substantial capabilities in the region,” including the USS Abram Lincoln Carrier Strike Group.
Nasrallah was killed in a massive Israeli bombing south of Beirut on Friday. He has led Iran’s most powerful proxy force in the Middle East for decades, and his death is not only a potentially devastating setback for Hezbollah, but also a sign of Iran’s dominance in the region. It could be a big blow.
Biden administration officials have also defended their decision to announce last week a “break” in a proposed ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, even as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israeli forces would instead fire on Lebanese. The proposal quickly became an embarrassment for the administration, as it clearly stated that it would continue to do so. armed group.
U.S. officials claim Israel changed its mind Wednesday night after the proposal, signed by 11 other allies, was announced. U.S. officials said Israel saw an opportunity to target Nasrallah.
A U.S. official told CNN that the U.S.-led statement released Wednesday was given the go-ahead by Israel after several days of joint efforts. In a hastily arranged phone call that evening, Biden administration officials confidently told reporters that “the ceasefire will last for 21 days” across the Lebanon-Israel border.
They believed the deal would come into force quickly so that diplomatic efforts could continue leading to a more permanent ceasefire.
But hours later, Prime Minister Netanyahu said Israel would “continue to attack Hezbollah with all our might.”
Israeli officials tried to explain what happened as an “honest misunderstanding.”
They said they believed what the United States, France and other countries were proposing was “the beginning of a process that could eventually lead to a ceasefire.”
But “the Americans thought this was the end of the process and the beginning of a ceasefire,” a senior Israeli official told CNN.
What gave American officials confidence was that they were negotiating directly with Ron Dermer, one of Netanyahu’s closest aides. He and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan began talks two days ago on Monday.
U.S. officials claimed Sunday that the administration backed away from pursuing a cease-fire plan last week after learning that Israel may seek to remove Nasrallah. But the White House insists efforts are still underway to reach a diplomatic solution to return tens of thousands of Lebanese and Israeli civilians to their homelands.
“What we agree on is that we need to try to de-escalate tensions here,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby told CNN on Sunday.
“We believe, and continue to believe, that an all-out war with Hezbollah, and certainly an all-out war with Iran, is not the way to do that. If we want to bring these people home safely and sustainably, “We believe that the diplomatic path is the right path,” he added.
