US says Iran is planning a missile attack on Israel in the coming hours

Washington "actively supports defensive preparations to protect Israel from this attack" and warns Iran of the consequences

Iran is ready to launch an attack on Israel in the coming hours, US and Israeli officials said Tuesday, after Israeli troops launched a dramatic ground incursion into southern Lebanon aimed at the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia, The New York Times reported.

The Israeli military said Israel was informed that the attack was being prepared by the US government. A senior White House official said the United States is “actively supporting defensive preparations to protect Israel from this attack,” warning that a direct attack on Israel “would have serious consequences for Iran.”

The scale of a possible Iranian attack is unclear; drones and missiles could be used against Israel. The US Embassy in Israel advised its employees to return home and be prepared to go into bomb shelters, this is the first such order in recent months, writes NY T.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented on the situation with a possible attack. “We are in the midst of a war against the Iranian axis of evil. Yesterday I said that these are days of great success and great challenges. We eliminated Nasrallah and all his henchmen, we foiled Hezbollah's plan to invade the Galilee. We are taking action to restore safety to the people of the north. On the other hand, there are serious challenges. I ask you two things. First, strictly follow the instructions of the rear command. This could save your life. Secondly, popular unity. We must face the days of testing that lie ahead firmly and together. Together we will stand, together we will fight and together we will win,” the Prime Minister said.

On Tuesday, the Home Front Command sharply tightened restrictions on gatherings in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. The announcement came hours after the military confirmed the start of a ground operation in southern Lebanon. The IDF report said one army division, which typically numbers more than 10,000 soldiers, was involved in conducting "limited, localized and targeted raids" along the border. Israel has said its goal in the operation in Lebanon is to eliminate Hezbollah infrastructure that poses an immediate threat to northern Israel so that civilians displaced by rocket attacks can return.

The fighting has forced some 60,000 people in Israel and hundreds of thousands in Lebanon to flee their homes.

Photo: AFP