2/8/2024–|Last update: 2/8/202405:03 PM (Makkah Time)
American press reports indicated that the United States is preparing to send additional fighter jets to the Middle East and is enhancing combat readiness to confront the expected response from Iran and the Palestinian, Lebanese and Yemeni forces to the assassination of the head of the political bureau of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) Ismail Haniyeh and the military commander of the Lebanese Hezbollah, Fouad Shukr.
Axios reported on Friday that the administration of US President Joe Biden is convinced that Iran will attack Israel within days in response to the assassination of Haniyeh in Tehran.
The website added that Biden and his senior aides are extremely frustrated by the current situation, and fear that it will be difficult to mobilize an international and regional coalition similar to the one that helped Israel repel the previous Iranian attack last April, according to the website.
The New York Times quoted American officials as saying that Washington is preparing to send additional fighter jets to the Middle East to confront current threats.
The number of aircraft to be sent is still under study, as are final approvals from senior officials, including Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, US officials added.
Officials said it was not clear whether Israel and its allies had much time to prepare for a new round of major Iranian attacks.
US Army is preparing
A military official told the newspaper – on condition of anonymity – that US forces in the Middle East are taking “necessary measures” to enhance combat readiness and protect US forces and their allies from any threats from Iran or Iranian-backed factions.
For his part, the US National Security Council's strategic communications coordinator, John Kirby, told CNN that President Biden made clear, during his call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday, Thursday, that Washington will continue its efforts to ensure that Israel gets what it needs to defend itself, according to his expression.
He pointed out that his country is constantly re-evaluating the status of its forces in the Middle East, to ensure that it has the capabilities and resources necessary to defend itself.
Kirby said that the Biden administration heard Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei clearly state his intention to avenge Haniyeh's killing in Tehran, and to seek to launch another attack on Israel.
The American official did not rule out that Washington would be among those targeted by such an attack.
In other statements to Fox News, Kirby said that Washington is still examining intelligence information with the Israeli side and “takes the Iranian leader's threats seriously.”
The fate of negotiations
Regarding the indirect talks between Hamas and Israel, Kirby said that he does not yet know whether the events that have taken place in the region in recent days will affect the chances of reaching a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.
But he expressed his belief that negotiations were still possible, as well as reaching a ceasefire, even after Haniyeh's killing.
Kirby denied knowledge of any move by Hamas regarding Haniyeh's succession, and confirmed the continuation of talks with the State of Qatar. He also spoke about the possibility of bridging the “remaining narrow gaps” regarding the ceasefire, indicating ongoing talks with his counterparts, including the Israelis, to reach a ceasefire for a period of 6 weeks.
Hamas and Iran vowed to respond to Haniyeh's assassination, while international contacts and efforts are underway to calm the situation for fear of the conflict expanding in the region.