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The United States of America has deployed additional forces in the Middle East to protect Israel from threats from Iran, the Pentagon said. At the same time, Washington intends to continue cooperation with allies and partners to de-escalate the situation in the region. Israel is on high alert after Tehran threatened a “severe response” for the murder of the leader of the radical Palestinian movement Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, FREEDOM reports.
The New York Times reports that the United States is preparing to send additional combat aircraft to the Middle East — their number is still being determined. According to the American newspaper’s sources, Washington continues to discuss the details of its response to help protect Israel without creating an escalation in the region. As the Pentagon said, the American Missile Defense Force has been placed on high alert for deployment.
“US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stressed that further escalation is not inevitable and all countries in the region will benefit from reduced tensions. Including by concluding a ceasefire agreement in Gaza and releasing the hostages. The unprecedented scale of US support for Israel since October 7 should leave no doubt in Iran, Hezbollah and other Iranian-backed terrorist groups about the resolve of the United States,” said Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh.
According to the American publication Axios, citing officials, Washington expects that Iran’s new attack will follow the same pattern as the attack on Israel on April 13. Then Iran launched dozens of drones and missiles. But this attack will potentially be larger-scale. In addition, the Lebanese group Hezbollah may also be involved in it. But Israel is fully prepared for any scenario, both defensive and offensive, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized.
“We will make them pay a very high price for any act of aggression against us in any arena,” the Israeli prime minister said.
The risk of escalating war in the Middle East has increased after Iran threatened to retaliate against Israel for the killing of the leader of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas. US President Joe Biden noted that the elimination of the militant leader did not help achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
“I am very concerned about this. I had a direct conversation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. We have a framework for a ceasefire. They must move forward, and they must move forward now,” Joe Biden said.
According to journalists from The New York Times, mass arrests began in Iran after the killing of the Hamas leader. Thus, more than two dozen people were detained in Tehran, including senior intelligence officers and military officials.
“The mass arrests underscore how devastating a security failure the killing of Ismail Haniyeh was for Iran’s leadership. Iran’s inability to protect either its country or its key allies could prove fatal for the Iranian regime. This is a signal to the country’s enemies about the possibility of overthrowing and decapitating the Islamic Republic,” writes The New York Times.
At the same time, the French Foreign Ministry called on its citizens to immediately leave Iran in connection with the possible closure of Iranian airspace in the event of increased tensions between Iran and Israel. French citizens were also warned of the risk of arbitrary detentions in Iran. Amid Tehran’s threats, several international airlines have suspended flights to Israel.
Read also: Israel studying Ukraine’s experience of countering Iranian drones – Ambassador of Israel to Ukraine
Earlier, Russian journalist, orientalist, author of the Telegram channel SULEYMANOV Ruslan Suleimanov said on FREEDOM that with the new Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, no warming of relations between the country and the West is expected. His powers are limited, since all power in Iran still belongs to Ayatollah Khamenei.
