CBS Learns US Expects Iran to Strike Israel 'Within Hours'

Iran plans to attack Israel as early as April 12 in response to an airstrike on its consulate in Damascus, US officials told CBS. The attack will involve more than 100 drones and dozens of missiles.

Iran could launch a major attack on Israel as early as Friday, April 12, CBS reports, citing two American officials. The attack will be Tehran's response to the death of seven officers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a result of an Israeli airstrike in Damascus.

The publication's interlocutors claim that Iran's targets will be Israeli military facilities, and the retaliation action will involve over 100 drones and several dozen missiles. American officials also said it would be difficult for the Israelis to defend against an attack of this magnitude.

On April 11, the Wall Street Journal reported that Israel was preparing for a direct attack from Iran in the south or north of the country in the next 24-48 hours. At the same time, Politico claimed that Iran was adjusting plans to launch a major retaliatory strike on Israel in order to send a signal rather than provoke a regional conflict that would lead to US intervention.

One way or another, American officials announced the inevitability of a retaliatory strike from Iran. On April 11, the US State Department urged its citizens in Israel to refrain from traveling outside major cities, which are better protected from missile attacks.

On the same day, the commander of the US Central Command (CENTCOM), General Eric Kurilla, visited Israel to coordinate actions in connection with the expected Iranian strike, and Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin had a telephone conversation with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Galant, promising him “unwavering support.”

On the evening of April 1, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched an airstrike on Damascus. Iranian and Syrian authorities said the Israeli air force targeted the Iranian consulate in the Arab republic. Israeli authorities traditionally do not confirm or deny their strikes on the territories of Syria and Lebanon, but said that, according to their intelligence, the destroyed building did not have diplomatic status.

The airstrike killed five officers and two senior IRGC generals. Tehran reserved the right to retaliate. Amid threats from Iran, Israeli authorities mobilized reservist air defense system operators, canceled vacations for military personnel and began jamming GPS signals in the central parts of the country (previously, interruptions were observed only in the north and south).