US Officials Warn of Imminent Iranian Retaliation

The US decision to deploy warships and a fighter squadron to the Middle East represents one of the most significant movements of American forces to the region since the onset of the Gaza war. Initially, the Pentagon dispatched two carrier strike groups to the Middle East as a clear warning to regional militant groups to avoid escalating the conflict.

This deployment comes as the region braces for potential Iranian retaliation after the country’s supreme leader vowed to strike Israel in response to the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran earlier this week. Israel has not commented on the incident.

US officials have indicated that an Iranian attack could occur in the coming days. They are monitoring the region closely for signs of how such an attack might unfold. The anticipated attack could resemble the barrage of ballistic missiles and drones Iran launched against Israel in April, but it might also be larger and more complex, potentially involving coordination with Iranian proxies in the region.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah suggested that a coordinated attack on Israel could be forthcoming after Israel assassinated one of the Iran-backed group’s top commanders in Beirut less than 24 hours before Haniyeh’s killing.

“They have provoked everyone, so they don’t know where the response will come from… the response will come either separately or in a coordinated manner,” Nasrallah said in a speech on Thursday.