As Israel braces for imminent Iranian attack, US seeks to revive multinational coalition in Middle East

1 month ago 11

When Iran attacked Israel in April, the United States forged a coalition with the United Kingdom, France, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia for the defence of Israel read more

As Israel braces for imminent Iranian attack, US seeks to revive multinational coalition in Middle East

In the wake of threats from Iran, the United States has boosted military presence in the Middle East (Representative Photo, Credit: US Navy)

As Israel is bracing for an imminent attack from Iran, the United States has sought to revive the multinational coalition against Iran in the Middle East.

Following the assassination of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran that left Iran fuming, Israel is preparing for the possibility of a multi-front assault that could also lead to an all-out war in the region. Iran has vowed to avenge Haniyeh’s killing on its soil, which it blames on Israel, and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has reportedly ordered direct attacks on Israel.

It is in this background that the United States is seeking to revive the coalition it put together in April to help with the defence of Israel from Iran’s attack.

The United States has also boosted its military presence in the Middle East and has sent aircraft carrier strike group, multiple warships, and a squadron of fighter planes to the region. This is in addition to around 80 fighter planes, 40 other aircraft, over a dozen warships, and around 4,500 Marines already deployed in the region for months.

Iran could attack Israel as early as Monday: Report

The United States and Israel expect that Iran could attack Israel as early as Monday, according to Axios.

The report said that the US assessment is that Iran could use the April playbook to attack Israel.

In April, after Israel assassinated top Iranian commanders in an airstrike on Iranian diplomatic compound in Syrian capital Damascus, Iran launched an unprecedented barrage of hundreds of missiles, drones, and rockets at Israel. Even though Israel and Iran have been locked in shadow war for a long time in the Middle East, it was the first time Iran had directly attacked Israel.

Israeli outlet Ynet has reported that the upcoming Iranian attack could be much bigger in scope than the one in April and could have a broader participation. It said that Hezbollah and other Iran-backed groups in the region could also join.

The report further said that Israel is preparing for a war on as many as five fronts that could be triggered by the Iranian attack.

Israel believes that a strong Iranian attack would mean that Israel’s response and international support would also be strong, said the report.

Will the same coalition come up again?

Amid the threat of an imminent Iranian attack, the United States is seeking to revive the coalition that emerged in April.

When Iran attacked Israel in April, the US, British, French, Jordanian, and Saudi militaries joined hands to help Israel defend itself against the Iranian attack. It was the most remarkable coalition in which Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia which does not have ties with Israel, joined hands with Western countries to come to the defence of Israe.

Axios reported that even though the United States is seeking to revive the coalition, it would be difficult to do so now as Haniyeh’s assassination has drawn sharp anti-Israel sentiments across the region.

Read Entire Article