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The United States has informed Israel that it is adjusting its military presence in the Middle East in response to threats from Iran and its allies. This comes after the assassinations of two prominent leaders from Hezbollah and Hamas.
What’s the deal: During a Pentagon press conference, spokeswoman Sabrina Singh announced that Secretary Austin informed Defense Minister Yoav Gallant of the United States’ plans to take additional measures to support Israel’s defense. Singh emphasized that this additional support would be strictly defensive and was directed by President Biden.
So more troops?: When asked about deploying more troops to the region, the Pentagon confirmed that additional defensive capabilities would require more personnel. However, they did not disclose which defensive assets would be deployed or the number of troops needed. Despite this lack of detail, reports indicate that the United States began moving assets two days ago.
When is the attack coming?: According to intelligence sources speaking to Israeli news outlets, Iran may launch the attack on Israel during Tisha B’Av, a significant Jewish day of mourning that begins on August 12 and ends on August 13. The timing aims to leverage the symbolic weight of the day, which commemorates the destruction of the first and second Temples. It’s unclear if the attack will be
Some info on Iran’s last attack:
Iran’s last known attempt to attack Israel occurred in April, when hundreds of drones and missiles were launched. Despite the scale of this assault, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) successfully intercepted 99% of the projectiles, including 170 explosive UAVs, 30 cruise missiles, and 120 ballistic missiles, resulting in only minor damage to an IAF base in southern Israel. The United States and the United Kingdom also took down missiles and UAVs that were launched.
Pentagon calls for de-escalation: The Pentagon also noted that the United States does not want tensions to escalate in the Middle East and believes a ceasefire agreement is a pathway to reducing hostilities.
