U.S. issues travel warning for Israel as Iran expected to attack any time

Tel Aviv — Israel is bracing for a worst-case script that U.S. officials judge could materialize wrong conscionable hours — nan possibility of a nonstop onslaught connected Israeli ungraded by Iran successful retaliation for a onslaught almost 2 weeks agone that killed 7 Iranian subject officers. Iran has vowed to return revenge for Israel sidesplitting its commanders, who were deed by an April 1 onslaught connected nan Iranian embassy successful Syria's capital.

Two U.S. officials told CBS News that a awesome Iranian onslaught against Israel was expected arsenic soon arsenic Friday, perchance to see much than 100 drones and dozens of missiles aimed astatine subject targets wrong nan country. The charismatic said it would beryllium challenging for nan Israelis to take sides against an onslaught of specified a magnitude, and while they held retired nan anticipation that nan Iranians could opt for a smaller-scale onslaught to debar a melodramatic escalation, their retaliation was believed to beryllium imminent. 

Tehran has not indicated publically really aliases erstwhile it will return occurrence — truthful it's unclear really acold Iran's leaders will go. If they determine to transportation retired a nonstop onslaught connected Israel, there's fearfulness it could rustle Israel's ongoing war against Iranian state Hamas up into a overmuch wider location conflict.

With nan Iranian retaliation expected astatine immoderate time, nan U.S. State Department connected Thursday warned Americans successful Israel not to recreation extracurricular awesome cities, which are amended protected from incoming rocket occurrence by nan country's Iron Dome rocket defense system. The latest guidance noted that recreation by U.S. authorities labor successful Israel could beryllium further restricted pinch small announcement arsenic things create successful nan tinderbox region.

Members of nan Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) pain Israeli and U.S. flags during a ceremonial for members of nan IRGC's elite Quds Force who were killed successful an Israeli airstrike successful Syria, successful Tehran, Iran, April, 2024.  Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto/Getty

"Whoever harms us, we will harm them," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Thursday arsenic he visited troops astatine an Israel Defense Forces airbase. "We are prepared… some defensively and offensively."

Sima Shine, a information master and erstwhile charismatic pinch Israel's nationalist intelligence agency Mossad, told CBS News it was a vulnerable infinitesimal for nan region, and nan "most worried" she has been. She said worry complete an all-out warfare was apt conscionable arsenic precocious "on some sides, successful Israel and successful Iran."

If Iran does chose to onslaught Israel directly, it could impact a analyzable rocket and drone onslaught akin to nan 1 Iranian forces launched against a Saudi lipid installation successful 2019.

"They will effort to do it connected nan subject aliases immoderate subject asset," Shine predicted. "But nan mobility will beryllium nan damage. If location would beryllium galore injured people, killed aliases injured… I deliberation it has nan imaginable for a immense escalation."

Iranians guidelines successful beforehand of an anti-U.S. and anti-Israeli banner during a rally commemorating International Quds Day, besides known arsenic Jerusalem Day, during a ceremonial for members of nan IRGC Quds Force who were killed successful an Israeli airstrike successful Syria, successful Tehran, Iran, April 5, 2024. Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto/Getty

Shine stressed, however, that she still believes neither broadside really wants a location conflict.

The dilemma for Iran, she said, is to fig retired really to present its promised consequence to nan Israeli attack, but successful a measurement that does not lead to further escalation. Likewise, Shine said Israel could take to show restraint erstwhile it responds to immoderate Iran yet does.

If either broadside gets nan equilibrium wrong, nan consequences for nan region, and moreover nan world, could beryllium dire.

In:
• War
• Iran
• Hamas
• Israel
• Joe Biden
• Gaza Strip
• Middle East
• Benjamin Neta​nyahu