US warns of major Iranian strikes on Israel, raises concerns of war escalating

The United States believes that an Iranian attack on Israel is imminent, and the only question is when exactly will it happen, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday (Apr 10). The report coincided with Tehran's warning as supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, also said on Wednesday that Israel "must be punished and it shall be" for attacking the Iranian embassy compound in Syria.

Suspected Israeli warplanes bombed Iran's consulate in the Syrian capital on April 1 in a strike that Iran said killed seven military advisers. It was seen as a major escalation.

"When they attack the consulate, it is as if they have attacked our soil. The evil regime made a mistake and must be punished and it shall be," Khamenei said in a speech marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

The Bloomberg report cited people familiar with US and Israeli intelligence assessments, saying that Iran or its proxies could launch strikes.

The strikecould involve high-precision missileand drone attacksatmilitary and government sites in Israel with the source telling the media outlet that the strikes were a matter of when, not if.

In another report published by the Axios news site, Gen. Michael Kurilla, who is head of the US Central Command, was expected to visit Israel on Thursday. He will consult with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and other officials to discuss the Iranian threat.

Watch:Israel and US fear Iran might attack Israel using missiles anddrones

Experts have raised concerns over the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas spreading and enteringadjacent regions as the situation in West Asia continues to escalate. The situationhas therefore called for and immediate ceasefire.

While speaking about the direction and location from where the attack might come, the source said that US and Western intelligence have indicated an attack may not necessarily come from Israel's north, where Tehran's ally Hezbollah in Lebanon is located.

US President also weighed in as he said on Wednesday, "We also want to address the Iranian threat to launch a significant - they're threatening to launch a significant attack in Israel. As I told Prime Minister Netanyahu, our commitment to Israel's security against these threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad. Let me say it again, iron-clad - all we can to protect Israel's security."

As per the report, Israel appears to have knowledge of such potential attack, withForeign Minister of Israel Katz saying on Wednesday that his country will respond if Iran attacks from its own soil.

"If Iran attacks from its own territory, Israel will respond and attack in Iran," Katz said in a post on the social media platform X.

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(With inputs from agencies)