The United States believes that an Iranian attack on Israel may be imminent and has instructed its diplomatic employees in Israel not to travel far from their homes in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Be’er Sheva in the south.
The warning came after days of threats by Iran to retaliate against Israel for an airstrike April 1 in Damascus, Syria, that killed two generals and five officers responsible for attacks on Israel via terrorist proxy armies in recent months.
Israel warned that if Iran launches an attack on Israel directly from Iranian territory, it will retaliate against Iran directly — not against Iran-backed Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, or militias in Iraq.
The Israeli military canceled leave for combat soldiers and called up reservists from air defense units several days ago. President Joe Biden also reiterated Wednesday that U.S. support for Israel was “ironclad,” in an attempt to deter Iran.
Meanwhile, the Jerusalem Post and Reuters reported on Friday morning that the U.S. has warned ocal staff:
The United States said on Thursday it had restricted its employees in Israel and their family members from personal travel outside the greater Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Be’er Sheva areas amid Iran’s threats to retaliate against its regional adversary.
Iran has vowed revenge for the April 1 airstrike on its embassy compound in Damascus, ratcheting up tension in a region already strained by the Gaza war.
“Out of an abundance of caution, U.S. government employees and their family members are restricted from personal travel outside the greater Tel Aviv (including Herzliya, Netanya, and Even Yehuda), Jerusalem, and Be’er Sheva areas until further notice,” the US embassy said in a security alert on its website on Thursday. “U.S. government personnel are authorized to transit between these three areas for personal travel.”
Anchors on Israel’s Army Radio were somewhat puzzled by the U.S announcement, and asked whether it was informed by accurate intelligence. They noted that the U.S. had inadvertently confirmed where its local staff lives.
Other world powers, such as the United Kingdom, have urged Iran not to attack Israel, and to avoid a larger war.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of the recent e-book, “The Zionist Conspiracy (and how to join it),” now available on Audible. He is also the author of the e-book, Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
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