Middle East conflict: USA warns Iran: Cannot moderate Israel if attacked

According to media reports, the US government has warned Iran against another attack on Israel. If Tehran attacks Israel again as announced, Washington would hardly be able to persuade the government in Jerusalem to show restraint, reported the US news site “Axios”, citing a US official and a former Israeli official.

For its part, the online service “Walla”, which is part of the Israeli newspaper “The Jerusalem Post”, reported that the US government had warned Iran through Swiss diplomats that in the event of an Iranian attack it would not be able to persuade the Israeli armed forces again to deploy to a relatively limited area and to limit precise counter-strikes. The warning represented a rare contact between the two hostile countries, the USA and Iran.

Iran threatens a devastating response

Iran’s religious leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has threatened his arch-enemies Israel and the United States with a decisive response following recent military confrontations. “The enemies, whether the Zionist regime or America, will certainly receive a devastating response to what they bring to Iran and the resistance front,” Khamenei said. It initially remained unclear whether this also meant a military response to the Israeli retaliatory attack a week ago.

Israel attacked several military installations and the air defense system in Iran last week. This was in response to an attack by Iran with around 200 missiles at the beginning of October. Recently, several senior officials and military officials in Iran said that the Israeli attack would not go unanswered.

USA relocates B-52 long-range bombers

Amid growing tensions in the Middle East, the US has deployed B-52 long-range bombers to the region from Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota. The US military said the strategic bombers had arrived in the area of ​​responsibility of the US Central Command. The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) is primarily responsible for the Middle East. Most recently, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin approved the deployment of additional missile defense warships, a fighter squadron, tanker aircraft and several B-52 long-range bombers to the region.

Israel: 900 opponents killed in northern Gaza Strip

The Israeli armed forces say they killed around 900 “terrorists” from the Islamist Hamas and other extremist groups in the ground offensive in Jabaliya in the north of the Gaza Strip that began at the beginning of October. In addition, 700 Palestinians were captured, 300 of whom could have been identified as members of terrorist groups, the military said. According to the army, two other Israeli soldiers were also killed in the heavy fighting, for which reinforcements were brought in from other parts of the Gaza Strip. The information could not initially be independently verified.

Israel abducts person from northern Lebanese city of Batroun

The Israeli military says it has captured a high-ranking Hezbollah member in the northern Lebanese coastal town of Batroun. The man was taken to Israeli territory and is currently being interrogated. According to the state news agency NNA, local residents reported that unknown military units had kidnapped a person in Batroun at dawn. An “unidentified military unit” carried out a “sea landing” in Batroun. They brought the kidnapped man to the beach and from there took a speedboat out to sea. Lebanese security sources said the person concerned was involved in Hezbollah arms smuggling between Lebanon and Syria.