Iran retaliation threat sparks exodus and flight suspensions
4 August 2024 19:53
The Axios portal reports that Iran's retaliatory attack on Israel could occur on Monday, 5 August. Meanwhile, more countries are urging their citizens to leave Lebanon. International carriers have also suspended flights to Tel Aviv and Beirut.
The Axios portal cites three representatives from the USA and Israel who believe Iran's attack on Israel could happen as soon as Monday.
The American portal, founded in 2016 by journalists previously associated with Politico, did not provide the names of the officials expecting the potential attack. Instead, Axios cited this assessment in the report, informing that the commander of the US Central Command (CENTCOM), Michael Kurilla, arrived in the Middle East on 3 August.
The general itinerary included several countries, with Jordan being the most significant stop, which clarified the portal.
Representatives of the USA and Israel, whose names Axios does not mention, are unsure whether Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah will carry out a coordinated attack or act separately. According to their assessments, the military plans are being finalized and approved at the political level.
Citing Western intelligence sources, Sky News Arabia reports that the attack is possible on 12-13 August.
Tension is rising in the Middle East
On Tuesday, in an Israeli attack on Beirut, Hezbollah's military leader Fuad Shukr was killed. On Wednesday, in an attack on Tehran also attributed to Israel, Hamas's political leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed. Leaders of Iran, Hezbollah, and the Palestinian Hamas have already promised retaliation.
The situation in the Middle East is the most tense it has been in months and risks further escalation of the conflict being fought on various fronts between Israel and Tehran and its allies: Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Yemeni Houthi movement.
