In anticipation of the Iranian strike against Israel, feverish consultations and diplomatic efforts are taking place in a last-ditch effort to avoid a full-scale war in the Middle East with Iranian retaliation, however, assumed to be certain.
Diplomatic missions across the Middle East continued efforts on Monday to contain escalating tensions as Tehran warned it was only a matter of time before it struck back.
At the same time, Washington is preparing for expected Iranian retaliation, although there is uncertainty surrounding when Iran would act and how far it might go.
The US estimates that Iran will retaliate in the coming days, perhaps even within the next 24 hours against Israel for the assassination of Ismail Haniya.
Indicative of the prevailing situation, US President Joe Biden and his vice president — and Democratic candidate for the presidency in the November elections — Kamala Harris were briefed by the team in charge of national security issues at the White House on developments in the Middle East , including threats to Washington posed by Iran and its allies to US military personnel in the region, according to the US presidency.
They were briefed on the attack on Al Asad Air Base and the measures being considered to protect members of the US armed forces and respond to any attack.
They were also briefed on the US military's moves to support Israel's defenses should it be targeted again. And also, for the diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the tension in the region and the — still deadlocked — efforts to agree a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Hamas, always according to the services of the American presidency.
For his part, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that the United States is urging other countries through diplomatic channels to tell Iran that escalation in the Middle East is not in its interest.
Blinken, who spoke of a "critical moment" for the region, said Washington "has engaged in intense diplomatic efforts, almost around the clock" to help de-escalate tensions.
But the U.S. has difficulty gauging when the response will come and in what form, in part because Iran has already moved some of the military assets necessary to launch a major attack on Israel in April, making it more difficult for American intelligence agencies to now predict his actions.
Intelligence agencies rely on multiple sources of information, and there is disagreement among national security officials about how and when Iran's response might be noted.
The relative uncertainty has left the Biden administration on the defensive as it tries through allies to pressure Iran not to escalate tensions.
In a parallel development, foreign ministers from Islamic countries are to gather in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday for an "emergency" meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation called to discuss "the ongoing crimes of the Israeli occupation against the Palestinian people," including the killing of Haniya, the organization said in a statement.
Iran requested the meeting, according to the country's foreign ministry spokesman, Nasser Kanaani. During a press conference in Tehran, Kanaani blamed Israel for escalating tensions in the region.
Source: skai.gr