The United States is preparing to counter an expected Iranian attack on Israel in the coming days as Iran signals it will retaliate for the death of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, Axios reported.
Although Israel has not publicly taken responsibility for Haniyeh's death, Hamas and Iranian officials blamed it for the attack. Israel did claim responsibility for the Tuesday assassination of Fuad Shukr, a top commander of Hezbollah, an Iran-backed terrorist group, in Beirut. Shukr was one of the leaders behind the July 27 attack in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights that killed 12 children and injured 40 more.
U.S. intelligence officials told Axios that they have received evident signals that Iran is going to retaliate against Israel for the alleged assassination on its soil, and they expect "a few rough days" ahead. They added that they are preparing for an attack similar to Iran’s April 13 strike on Israel, with possible support from Hezbollah.
In April, Iran launched more than 200 drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles aimed at Israel—a response to an Israeli airstrike on an Iranian facility in Damascus that killed a top general. Multiple Arab countries, including Jordan and Saudi Arabia, either helped counteract Iranian and Houthi weapons or allowed the United States and Israel to use their airspace. The White House fears it will be harder this time to rally the same international and regional support as the Israel-Hamas war has intensified anti-Israel sentiments across the region, Axios reported.
"It is our duty to take Martyr Haniyeh's revenge," Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei posted on X, vowing to retaliate for Haniyeh's assassination. "[The] Zionist regime has prepared the ground for its severe punishment." Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has also pledged to respond to the Israeli airstrike in Beirut.
A senior Israeli official told Axios that its intelligence community anticipates Iran will launch a wide-ranging missile attack on Israel.