Israelis told 'prepare your bomb shelters' as Iran threatens all-out war
Israel is bracing itself for an Iranian retaliation after the country's supreme leader vowed to attack over the assassinaton of the Hamas political leader earlier this week.
The US has warned that the anticipated Iranian attack on Israel could happen within days, as Israelis have been warned to "prepare their bomb shelters".
The Jerusalem municipality has issued instructions to locals on what to do if the city comes under attack, with officials warning that residents should be able to reach a bomb shelter within just 90 seconds.
Any attack could be similar to the barrage of ballistic missiles and drones which Iran launched against Israel in April. However, there are fears that it could be even larger and more complex this time round.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah hinted that a co-ordinated attack on Israel could be in the works after Israel assassinated one of the Iran-backed group’s top commanders in Beirut, Fuad Shukr, head of the group's military operations, less than 24 hours before the killing of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. An Iranian military adviser and five civilians were also killed in the former attack.
“Because they have picked a fight with everyone, they don’t know where the response will come from … the response will come separately or coordinated,” he said in a speech on Thursday.
Haniyeh, alongside his personal bodyguard, was assassinated on July 31 after having returned to his accommodation in a military-run guesthouse , following his attendance of the inauguration ceremony for Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian.
Reports differ on the method of killing, ranging from a missile strike to a remotely detonated explosive device hidden in his bedroom. The investigation has led to the arrest of over two dozen individuals, including senior intelligence and military officials, as well as the guesthouse staff.
It comes as the US is sending a carrier strike group, a fighter squadron and additional warships to the Middle East. This could become the largest movement of US forces in the region since the early days of the Gaza war, when the Pentagon sent two carrier strike groups toward the Middle East in a public warning to regional militant groups to not amplify the fighting.
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Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin order the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group to replace the USS Theodore Roosevelt strike group, currently operating in the Gulf of Oman, according to a statement from deputy Pentagon press secretary, Sabrina Singh.
Destroyers and cruisers capable of ballistic missile defence will also be sent to the Middle East and the Mediterranean Sea.
The US already has the USS Wasp amphibious assault ship in the region, which operates with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, capable of carrying out an evacuation of US citizens in Lebanon if required.
Israel has not yet commented on the killing.
