President Joe Biden has reaffirmed unwavering US support for Israel amidst concerns over potential reprisals from Tehran following an attack that resulted in the deaths of senior Iranians.
In response to these escalating tensions, Mr. Biden emphasized that Iran is posing a significant threat of launching an attack, particularly after Israel’s recent strike on the Iranian consulate in Syria.
“We are committed to taking all necessary measures to ensure Israel’s security,” President Biden stated.
Earlier on Wednesday, Iran’s leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, characterized the Israeli attack in Damascus as tantamount to an assault on Iran itself.
“In targeting our consulate area, it was as though they attacked our sovereign territory,” Ayatollah Khamenei asserted during a televised address.
“The malevolent regime must face consequences, and it will face consequences.”
The nature of any potential retaliatory strike remains uncertain.
Directly striking Israel could lead to a dangerous escalation in the conflict, and analysts suggest that Iran lacks the military capability for a significant confrontation.
One possible alternative is an attack orchestrated through an Iranian proxy like Hezbollah, which has engaged in frequent exchanges of fire with Israel along the Lebanon border since October 8. These confrontations have intensified in recent weeks.
“Hezbollah possesses significant capabilities, with hundreds of thousands of rockets and missiles positioned along the border that can target southern Israel,” remarked Joe Buccino, former Communications Director at the US military’s Central Command, in a statement to the BBC.
“Hezbollah is much more capable than Hamas. So they’d have the capability to do significant damage into Israel.”
On Sunday an Iranian official warned Israel’s embassies were “no longer safe”, suggesting a consulate building could be a possible target.
Experts have also suggested Iran could target Israel with a cyberattack.
Thirteen individuals lost their lives in the attack on the Iranian consulate building on April 1, including several senior Iranian military figures. Among those killed was Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a prominent commander of Iran’s elite Quds Force in Syria and Lebanon.
