US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has warned Group of Seven (G7) countries that an Iran-led attack on Israel could come on Monday, Axios reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.
Blinken’s warning comes amid rising tensions in the Middle East. Killing of prominent Hezbollah and Hamas officialsWhich has raised the possibility of a wider regional conflict.
During a conference call with his G7 counterparts on Sunday, Blinken said Washington believes Iran and its proxy, the Lebanese group Hezbollah, are poised to attack Israel. He said the US was working to de-escalate the situation, aiming to prevent a full-scale war by pressuring Tehran to limit the scope of its imminent retaliatory strike.
Despite uncertainty over the exact timing of the attack, Blinken told G7 ministers it could begin “in the next 24 to 48 hours.”
In the call, Blinken also expressed disappointment with the way Israel handled recent negotiations. Potential Gaza hostage and ceasefire agreementHe reportedly said that negotiators were “close to a breakthrough” before the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.
Amid growing fears of a multi-front war in the Middle East, the G-7 has issued a statement urging all concerned parties to exercise restraint and avoid actions that could worsen the situation, according to news agency Reuters.
“Recent events threaten to precipitate a wider conflict in the region,” the G7 statement said. The group called on all parties to “engage constructively towards de-escalation and de-escalation of tensions.”
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has taken a tough stance and vowed to stand firm against Iran’s coordinated effort to surround Israel with hostile forces.
“Iran and its proxies want to enslave us with the grip of terrorism. We are determined to stand against them on every front and in every region – whether near or far,” Netanyahu said ahead of a high-level security meeting on Sunday.
Tensions have been high since the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last week, just a day after the killing of Hezbollah’s senior military commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut.
Both Iran-backed groups have vowed to avenge the killings, raising fears of a wider war across the Middle East.
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden is set to convene a meeting of his national security team on Monday to discuss the situation, and the Pentagon has announced the deployment of additional military assets to the region to prevent further escalation.