Politics USA warns Iran: cannot moderate Israel in case of attack

SDA

3.11.2024 - 05:53

ARCHIVE - Mechanics stand by an Israeli Air Force F-16 fighter jet at a military airport near Eilat in Israel. Photo: Ariel Schalit/AP/dpa
ARCHIVE - Mechanics stand by an Israeli Air Force F-16 fighter jet at a military airport near Eilat in Israel. Photo: Ariel Schalit/AP/dpa
Keystone

According to media reports, the US government has warned Iran of another attack on Israel. If Tehran were to attack Israel again as announced, Washington could hardly persuade the government in Jerusalem to exercise restraint, the US news website "Axios" reported, citing a US official and a former Israeli official.

Keystone-SDA

For its part, the online service "Walla", which belongs to the Israeli newspaper "The Jerusalem Post", reported that the US government had warned Iran via Swiss diplomats that it would not be able to persuade the Israeli armed forces to limit themselves to a relatively limited and precise counter-attack in the event of an Iranian attack. The warning thus represented a rare contact between the two hostile countries, the USA and Iran.

Iran threatens devastating response

Following the latest military confrontations, Iran's religious leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has threatened his arch-enemies Israel and the USA with a decisive response. "The enemies, whether the Zionist regime or America, will certainly receive a devastating response to what they are doing to Iran and the resistance front," said Khamenei. Whether this also meant a military response to the Israeli retaliatory attack a week ago initially remained open.

Israel had attacked several military installations and the air defense system in Iran last week. This was in response to an attack by Iran with around 200 missiles at the beginning of October. Several high-ranking officials and military officers in Iran had recently said that the Israeli attack would not go unanswered.

USA deploys B-52 long-range bombers

In view of the growing tensions in the Middle East, the USA has deployed long-range B-52 bombers from Minot Air Force Base in the US state of North Dakota to the region. The strategic bombers have arrived in the area of responsibility of the US Central Command, the US military announced. The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) is primarily responsible for the Middle East. Most recently, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin approved the deployment of additional missile defence warships, a fighter squadron, tanker aircraft and several B-52 long-range bombers to the region.

Israel: 900 enemies killed in the north of the Gaza Strip

The Israeli armed forces claim to have killed around 900 "terrorists" from the Islamist Hamas and other extremist groups during the ground offensive in Jabaliya in the north of the Gaza Strip, which began at the beginning of October. In addition, 700 Palestinians were captured, 300 of whom were identified as members of terrorist groups, the military added. According to the army, two other Israeli soldiers were also killed in the heavy fighting, for which reinforcements were brought in from other parts of the Gaza Strip. The information could not initially be independently verified.

Israel abducts person from the northern Lebanese town of Batrun

The Israeli military says it has captured a high-ranking Hezbollah member in the northern Lebanese coastal town of Batrun. The man was taken to Israeli territory and is currently being interrogated. According to the state news agency NNA, local residents reported that unknown military units had abducted a person in Batrun at dawn. An "unidentified military unit" had carried out a "sea landing" in Batrun. They took the abductee to the beach and from there took a speedboat out to sea. According to Lebanese security sources, the person concerned was involved in Hezbollah arms smuggling between Lebanon and Syria.