Illustrative: Israeli F-35 fighter jets (Credit: Ministry of Defense).
Iran and its terror proxies still pose a danger to Israel, despite the IDF having thwarted a planned large-scale attack by Hezbollah on Sunday, said White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby.
Shortly after, an anonymous Israel military source told Sky News Arabia that Israel was capable of launching a similar pre-emptive strike against potential threats in Iran, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen.
“It’s a dynamic situation, and we have to treat it like that,” Kirby said on Monday, adding: “We have to assume that Iran remains postured and prepared.”
Kirby said the U.S. is taking the situation seriously and, therefore, continues to maintain its “robust” military presence in the Middle East.
Last week, the U.S. Defense Department directed the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group to join, rather than replace, the Theodore Roosevelt strike group in the Middle East. This order follows previous directives that deployed an F-22 squadron, a submarine and various ships to join forces in the region.
Hezbollah and Iran had sworn revenge against Israel after the deaths of Hezbollah’s military chief Fuad Shukr and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh within hours of each other in July.
While Israel took responsibility for the death of Shukr in Beirut, it hasn’t commented on Haniyeh’s death in Tehran.
Iranian officials indicated its retaliation against Israel could take some time, while others said the regime wait for the outcome of the ongoing hostage deal negotiations between Israel and Hamas.
Reinforcing Kirby’s message, spokesman U.S. Air Force Maj.-Gen. Patrick Ryder said the Pentagon assessed there was still “a threat of attack.”
“I would point you to some of the public comments that have been made by Iranian leaders and others,” he said.
Iran’s new foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said Iran’s attack on Israel was “definitive, and will be measured & well calculated,” repeating this message in a series of phone calls with Western diplomats.
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani echoed Araghchi’s statement by claiming the strategic balance had shifted against Israel.
“The myth of the invincibility of the Israeli army has long become an empty slogan,” he wrote on 𝕏.
“The occupying regime, which always considered territorial development, now has to defend itself within the occupied territories, but despite the comprehensive support of its supporters, including the U.S., even against a limited and managed resistance operation, the time and place of the attack cannot be predicted. It has lost its deterrent power,” said Kanaani.
While insisting on its right to revenge against Israel, the Iranian government’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, has also signaled his openness to engage in dialogue with the West.
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei expressed similar sentiments during his first meeting with the new cabinet on Tuesday, according to Iran International.
“Let us not place our hopes in the enemy, nor should we await their approval for our plans. This does not preclude engaging with them when necessary – there’s no harm. However, do not rely on them, and trust in the enemy is misplaced.”
“No plan is without its challenges,” Khamenei said, adding: “While there may be times when a tactical retreat becomes necessary after all avenues have been explored, it is crucial not to abandon one’s position or resolve at the first sign of difficulty.”
