Biden briefed that Iran attack timing and details still unclear, U.S. officials say
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President Biden and Vice President Harris are briefed in the White House Situation Room on Aug.5 2024. Photo: White House
President Biden and Vice President Harris were told by their national security team on Monday that it is still unclear when Iran and Hezbollah are likely to launch an attack against Israel and what specifically the attack might entail, three U.S. officials told Axios.
Why it matters: Biden administration officials say they are working to prepare for countering the possible attacks and mobilizing diplomatic pressure on Iran and Hezbollah to try to minimize their retaliation for the assassinations by Israel of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and Hezbollah's top military commander in Beirut.
Driving the news: Secretary of State Antony Blinken told his G7 counterpart on Sunday that Iran and Hezbollah could attack Israel as soon as the next 24-48 hours, Axios reported.
- But in the meeting Biden and Harris had with the National Security Council in the White House Situation Room on Monday the assessment was more nuanced, U.S. officials said.
- The officials said Biden and Harris were told U.S. intelligence expects a scenario involving two waves of attacks — one from Hezbollah and one from Iran and several of its other proxies.
But it was still unclear to U.S. intelligence who is going to attack first and what kind of attack they are are going to conduct, the officials said.
- One U.S. official said intelligence indicates the response by Iran and Hezbollah is still a "work in progress" and both are undecided about what exactly they want to do.
State of play: According to the White House, during the Situation Room meeting Biden and Harris were updated about several U.S. soldiers who were seriously injured in a rocket attack on Monday by pro-Iranian militias on a the Al Asad Airbase in Iraq.
- "They discussed the steps we are taking to defend our forces and respond to any attack against our personnel in a manner and place of our choosing," the White House said in a statement.
- A U.S. official said the Pentagon expects more attacks by pro-Iranian militias against U.S. forces in the region in the coming days and stressed that growing tensions in the region are making the militias feel less restrained by Iran to attack U.S. forces than they were in recent months.
Behind the scenes: The White House said Biden and Harris were also briefed on continued diplomatic efforts to de-escalate regional tension and to bring the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal to a conclusion.
- Blinken spoke on Monday with Qatar's Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Abdul Rahman al-Thani and asked him to press Iran and Hezbollah to de-escalate. He also stressed that the Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal, which Qatar is a key mediator in, is still a top priority for Biden, a source with knowledge of the call said.
- State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a briefing with reporters on Monday that the Biden administration conveyed a message to Iran that the U.S. will defend Israel if it is attacked.
- "We don't think such an attack is inevitable and we are trying to prevent it," Miller said.
Blinken said on Monday at the top of his meeting with the Australian foreign minister that the situation in the Middle East is at a critical moment.
- "All parties must refrain from escalation. All parties must take steps to ease tensions," Blinken said.
- He said a Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal will calm tensions and prevent the conflict from spreading.
- "All parties must find ways to come to an agreement, not look for reasons to delay or to say no. It is urgent that all parties make the right choices in the hours and days ahead," he said.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó called Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz on Monday and told him that Iran informed Hungary earlier on Monday that it is going to attack Israel in response to the assassination of Haniyeh in Tehran, according to senior Israeli officials.
What to watch: During the Situation Room meeting Biden told his team to work as close as possible with Israel on coordinating the defense effort ahead of a possible attack, U.S. officials said.
- The commander of the U.S. military central command Gen. Michael Kurilla visited Israel on Monday and met with the Israel Defense Forces chief of staff Gen. Herzi Halevi and Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant.
- The IDF said Halevi and Kurilla held a joint situational assessment and discussed "joint preparations in the region, as part of the response to threats in the Middle East."
- Gallant said he discussed with Kurilla "the coordination of defense activities and ways to expand the international coalition facing aggressive actions by Iran and its proxies."
- At the same time Kurilla was holding meeting in Tel Aviv, the head of Russia's national security council Sergei Shoigu met with security and military officials in Tehran and discussed the tensions in the region.
