US President Joe Biden has issued a warning to Tehran, stating that he expected Iran to attack Israel "sooner, rather than later", warning Tehran against any such action.
When questioned by reporters about his advice to Iran, Biden responded succinctly, "Don't," stressing Washington's resolve to stand up for Israel.
"We are devoted to the defense of Israel. We will support Israel. We will help defend Israel and Iran will not succeed," he said.
As fears of reprisals increased following an attack on Iran's embassy compound in Damascus last week that resulted in the deaths of six officers and a senior commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps' overseas Quds Force, Israel braced itself on Friday for an attack by Iran or its proxies.
The airstrike on April 1 was not attributed to Israel. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran, however, declared that Israel "must be punished and shall be" for an operation he claimed was comparable to an attack on Iranian territory.
Although Biden stated he would not reveal sensitive information, he did state that he expected an Iranian attack "sooner, rather than later." Following a virtual speech to a civil rights conference, he talked with reporters at the White House.
Also Read: US on high alert amid Iran threats after Israeli attack on embassy
According to a Wall Street Journal report on Friday, the United States moved quickly to position its warships to defend Israel and American forces in the area in an effort to avert a potential direct Iranian attack on Israel, which could occur as soon as Friday or Saturday.
According to the newspaper, the United States took action in an attempt to prevent a wider conflict in the Middle East after receiving a warning regarding the timing and location of a possible Iranian attack from a person with knowledge of the situation.
The Journal reported that although plans for an attack are being discussed, no decision has been made, according to a person briefed by the Iranian leadership.
Russia, France, Poland, India, and other nations have forewarned their citizens not to travel to the region, which is already uneasy due to the ongoing seven-month conflict in Gaza. Germany urged its citizens to leave Iran on Friday.
John Kirby, the spokesperson for the White House, had earlier stated that Iran was threatening to attack Israel, but he did not specify when this might happen.
Kirby stated that the United States was closely monitoring the situation and evaluating its own force posture in the region in light of Tehran's threat.
