Situation at a glance: USA and Israel: Iran attack could be imminent

According to Israel and the USA, the retaliatory strike by Iran and its allies against Israel, which has been feared for days, could now be imminent. The USA shared the Israeli authorities’ assessment that it could happen “this week,” said John Kirby, communications director of the US National Security Council. Diplomatic efforts to dissuade Iran and its allies from an attack are in full swing. A new round of negotiations planned for Thursday on a ceasefire in the Gaza war between Israel and Hamas could be crucial for defusing the explosive situation in the entire Middle East.

Germany, the USA, Great Britain, France and Italy called on Iran to stop its ongoing threats of attack against Israel. The heads of state and government of the five countries announced this after a joint discussion on the situation in the Middle East. An attack would have serious consequences for the security situation in the region. The countries supported the ongoing efforts to de-escalate the situation, reach a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and release the hostages held by Hamas. There is no time to lose.

Can a new round of Gaza negotiations defuse the situation?

The mediators USA, Qatar and Egypt as well as Israel have announced that their representatives will attend the negotiations on Thursday in Doha or Cairo. It is still uncertain whether a team from Hamas will attend. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan about the importance of the Islamist organization returning to the talks on Thursday to finalize the framework for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and to ensure the release of all hostages, a US State Department spokesman said.

In a joint statement, the mediators called on Israel and Hamas to resume talks on August 15 “to close all remaining gaps and begin implementing the agreement without further delay.” Blinken thanked Turkey for supporting the statement, the spokesman said. However, Hamas had called on the mediators on Sunday to draw up a plan to implement the existing proposal for a ceasefire agreement “instead of going to further rounds of negotiations” or submitting further drafts.

One possible interpretation of this message is that Hamas leader Jihia al-Sinwar wants to wait for the attack by Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah militia against Israel in the hope of having better conditions for a deal afterwards, said Israeli journalist Barak Ravid in an interview with the US television channel CNN. Sinwar is believed to be somewhere in Hamas’ extensive network of tunnels under the sealed-off Gaza Strip.

However, more than a week after the killing of a Hezbollah military commander in Lebanon and a Hamas leader in the Iranian capital Tehran, it remains unclear whether and when Iran and its ally Hezbollah will carry out the threatened harsh retaliatory strikes against Israel.

Report: Iran’s military is making preparations

Israel has declared that it can count on the support of the US and other allies when it comes to intercepting rockets, cruise missiles and drones. This was the case in mid-April when Iran launched its first direct attack on Israel. Israel was able to intercept most of the more than 300 missiles on its own and with the help of the US and other allies. As the US news portal Axios reported, citing Israeli and US officials, Iran has now made similar preparations for its rocket and drone units as before the attack on Israel in April.

“It is difficult to say at this point what an attack by Iran and its proxies might look like,” said Kirby. “But we must be prepared for a possible series of attacks that could be significant.” US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin had already ordered the deployment of the nuclear-powered submarine “USS Georgia,” and the aircraft carrier “USS Abraham Lincoln” and its accompanying ships are also to accelerate their journey to the region, the Pentagon announced on Monday. The aircraft carrier, with its modern F-35 fighter jets, complements the aircraft carrier “USS Theodore Roosevelt” already stationed there.

USA and Israel prepare for possible attack

Israel’s armed forces have been on high alert for days. After a meeting with high-ranking military officers, Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi stressed that the army is preparing for offensive and defensive measures. “We are in the days of vigilance and readiness, the threats from Tehran and Beirut may materialize, and it is important to explain to everyone that readiness, preparation and vigilance are not synonyms for fear and panic,” said Defense Minister Joav Galant, according to the “Times of Israel.”

Meanwhile, a Hamas spokesman said that two members of its military wing had killed an Israeli hostage. Two other hostages were injured, said Abu Obaida, who is said to be a member of the Al-Qassam Brigades. The acts were “a response to Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.” The Israeli military said it could neither confirm nor deny the information at this time. Obaida’s statement is being investigated.

Hamas and other terrorists from the Gaza Strip invaded southern Israel on October 7 last year, killing more than 1,200 people and taking another 250 hostage. The unprecedented massacre sparked the Gaza War. During a brief ceasefire, more than 100 hostages were released, mostly women and elderly people. Those released reported inhumane conditions, deprivation, violence and psychological terror.

According to Israeli figures, Hamas still has 115 hostages in its power, 41 of whom Israel has declared dead. In addition, other hostages whose fate is unknown are probably no longer alive.