The United States has seen signs that Iran is preparing to launch a ballistic missile attack on Israel “immediately” following Israel’s ground invasion of southern Lebanon, a senior White House official told NBC News on Tuesday.
White House officials warned that any direct Iranian attack on Israel “would have serious consequences for Iran.”
“We are actively supporting defense preparations to defend Israel from this attack,” the official said.
U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem All U.S. government employees and their families in Israel are instructed to “shelter in place until further notice.”
In the same notice, the embassy said it “reminds U.S. citizens to continue to exercise caution and increase personal security awareness, as security incidents including mortar and rocket fire and drone system intrusions often occur without warning.”
“The security environment remains complex and may change rapidly based on the political situation and recent events,” the notice said.
Iran’s suspected planned attack comes as Israeli ground forces invade southern Lebanon as part of an attack on the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah. An Israeli official told NBC News that the number of Israeli troops entering Lebanon was “only a few hundred.”
Israel last week killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in an explosion in Beirut, Lebanon.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell more than 250 points as of 10 a.m. ET as the cost of West Texas Intermediate crude soared amid concerns about rising tensions in the oil-rich Middle East.
As of mid-morning, the WTI November contract was up nearly 3%, hovering below $70 a barrel.
In April, Iran launched an attack on Israel that included more than 300 drones and ballistic missiles after two senior Iranian commanders were killed in Israeli air strikes in Syria.
Most of the missiles and drones were shot down by Israel and the US military.
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