The Middle East and the rest of the world are on edge. According to CBS News, “Israel is bracing for a worst-case scenario that U.S. officials believe could materialize within just hours – the possibility of a direct attack on Israeli soil by Iran in retaliation for a strike almost two weeks ago that killed seven Iranian military officers. Iran has vowed to take revenge for Israel killing its commanders, who were hit by an April 1 strike” on an Iranian consulate in Syria’s capital. Two U.S. officials told CBS News “that a major attack against Israel was expected as soon as Friday, possibly to include more than 100 drones and dozens of missiles aimed at military targets inside the country.” In light of the imminent threat, the United States “has instructed its diplomatic employees in Israel not to travel far from their homes in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Be-er Sheva in the south” until further notice (Breitbart).
According to Axios, three U.S. officials confirmed that “Iran sent a message to the Biden administration through several Arab countries earlier this week: if the U.S. gets involved in the fighting between Israel and Iran, U.S. forces in the region will be attacked.”
President Biden answered Iran’s warnings on Wednesday during joint press conference with Japan’s Prime Minister, when he declared, “As I told Prime Minister Netanyahu, our commitment to Israel’s security against these threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad. Let me say it again: ironclad. We’re going to do all we can to protect Israel’s security” (Breitbart). And speaking to reporters earlier today about an Iranian strike against Israel, Biden said, “Don’t” (i24 News).
On the diplomacy front, the Daily Caller reports that the “Biden Administration asked China on Thursday to urge Iran against launching a retaliatory strike against Israel.” During a phone call between Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Blinken asked Beijing to “deter Iran from launching an attack against Israel.” But Wang rejected Blinken’s request and stated that “China ‘strongly condemns’ Israel’s strikes and urged the U.S. to play a ‘constructive role’ in the Middle East.” Where China refused to assist with diffusing tensions between Iran and Israel, Russia, Germany, and Great Britain “urged countries in the Middle East to show restraint” on Thursday (Reuters).
Earlier today, “Hezbollah said it had launched ‘dozens’ of rockets from Lebanon towards Israel. An Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman said around 40 missiles and two explosive drones had been fired. No casualties were reported and there were no indications of involvement from other actors” (BBC).
On Tuesday, The Times of Israel cited an anonymous “Western security official” who noted Israel “has been conducting air force drills in recent days that include preparing to target Iranian nuclear facilities and other key infrastructure should the Islamic Republic retaliate for the Damascus strike by attacking from its own territory.”
And yesterday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his warning to Iran if it attacked Israel, stating, “We are in challenging times. We are in the midst of a war in Gaza that is continuing with full force. In addition, we are continuing with ceaseless efforts to return our hostages, but we are also preparing for challenges from other fronts. . . We set a simple principle: Anyone who hits us, we hit them. We are ready to fulfill our responsibilities to Israel’s security, in defense and attack” (The Times of Israel).
Blessors of Israel is closely monitoring this crisis between Israel and Iran. Please join us in praying for Israel and her people during these tumultuous days.
by Dr. Matthew Dodd | April 12, 2024