White House says threat of significant attack by Iran on Israel ‘real and credible’

Israel is braced for an attack by Iran as warnings grew of retaliation for the killing last week of a senior officer in Iran’s embassy in Damascus, despite efforts from Washington and its allies to try and avert a wider war across the Middle East.

Israel has said it is ready to defend itself from any reprisals over a strike on the Iranian consulate in the Syrian capital on 1 April that killed Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi and six other officers. While Israel has not spoken about the attack, it is believed they carried it out.Tehran has vowed to respond. Western nations fear that an already volatile situation in the region, thanks to the conflict in Gaza, could quickly spiral further.

CBS, quoting two unnamed US officials, reported that an attack, potentially containing up to 100 drones and missiles could come as early as Friday night. The official added that there was still a possibility Iran could decide to hold back.

John Kirby, the retired US Navy rear admiral who serves as Joe Biden’s national security communications adviser, declined to go into detail regarding the intelligence on which American officials are basing their assessment of Tehran’s intentions when pressed on the matter during a White House press briefing on Friday. But he said the US is looking at its own force posture in the region in light of Tehran’s threat and is watching the situation very closely.

He referred reporters to remarks Mr Biden had made alongside Japanese prime minister Kishida Fumio, in which Mr Biden had reiterated what he described as an “ironclad” American commitment to Israel’s defence and vowed that the US would “do all we can to protect Israel’s security”.

On Friday evening Mr Biden also said: “We are devoted to the