US sends head of Central Command to Israel as Iranian threat grows

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

THE HEAD OF US CENTRAL COMMAND – GENERAL MICHAEL KURILLA – HAS ARRIVED IN ISRAEL – TO PREPARE FOR A POSSIBLE ATTACK BY IRAN.

US OFFICIALS SAID WEDNESDAY –US INTELLIGENCE REPORTS SHOWED AN ATTACK BY IRAN OR IRANIAN PROXY GROUPS COULD BE “IMMINENT.”

IRAN BLAMES ISRAEL FOR AN AIR STRIKE ON AN IRANIAN EMBASSY BUILDING IN SYRIA LAST WEEK – KILLING THREE SENIOR IRANIAN MILITARY COMMANDERS.  IRANIAN LEADERS HAVE PUBLICLY VOWED REVENGE.

US OFFICIALS CLAIM THEY WERE NOT INVOLVED IN THE ATTACK AND SAID THEY HAD RECEIVED NO WORD FROM ISRAEL THAT IT WAS PLANNING A SYRIAN STRIKE. 

PRESIDENT BIDEN ON WEDNESDAY REITERATED THE U-S’S COMMITMENT TO ISRAEL’S SECURITY.

[JOE BIDEN]

WE ALSO WANT TO ADDRESS THE IRANIAN THREAT TO LAUNCH A SIGNAL THAT THEY’RE THREATENING TO LAUNCH A SIGNIFICANT ATTACK ON ISRAEL. AS I TOLD PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU, OUR COMMITMENT TO ISRAEL’S SECURITY AGAINST THESE THREATS FROM IRAN AND PROXIES IS IRONCLAD. WE SAY IT AGAIN, IRONCLAD. WE’RE GOING TO DO ALL WE CAN TO PROTECT ISRAEL’S SECURITY.”

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

IRANIAN SUPREME LEADER – AYATOLLAH ALI KHAMENEI (HA-MIN-AYY) WROTE IN A APOST ON X: ISRAEL “SHOULD BE PUNISHED, AND IT WILL BE PUNISHED” FOR THE SYRIAN STRIKE.

IT’S UNCLEAR IF IRAN WILL USE ITS OWN MILITARY FORCES TO DIRECTLY STRIKE AN ISRAELI TARGET OR IF ONE OF IRAN’S PROXY GROUPS – EITHER THE HOUTHIS IN YEMEN OR HEZBOLLAH IN LEBANON – WILL CARRY OUT THE POSSIBLE ATTACK.

SINCE THE ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR STARTED – TEHRAN HAS AVOIDED A DIRECT CONFRONTATION WITH ISRAELI OR US FORCES.

US OFFICIALS HAVE SAID – THEY’RE CONCERNED AN IRANIAN ATTACK COULD ESCALATE THE WAR IN THE MIDDLE EAST – CAUSING A BROADER CONFLICT – AS ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU HAS ALSO VOWED REVENGE ON ANY ATTACK AGAINST ISRAEL.

[BENJAMIN NETANYAHU]

WE ESTABLISHED A SIMPLE PRINCIPLE — WHOEVER HURTS US, WE HURT HIM. WE ARE PREPARING TO MEET THE SECURITY NEEDS OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL BOTH IN DEFENSE AND IN ATTACK. I AND THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL TRUST YOU AND MAY WE ALL HAVE GREAT SUCCESS.”

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

 SO FAR – MORE THAN 12-HUNDRED ISRAELIS WERE KILLED WHEN HAMAS UNLEASHED TERROR ON A SMALL ISRAELI VILLAGE ON OCTOBER 7TH.

THE PALESTINIAN HEALTH AUTHORITY – RUN BY HAMAS – SAYS MORE THAN 33-THOUSAND PALESTINIANS HAVE BEEN KILLED SINCE ISRAEL RETALIATED AGAINST HAMAS.