Israel and the United States are bracing for Iran to retaliate after an Israeli strike on the Iranian consulate in Syria, U.S. officials told CBS News.
Israel on Monday attacked the Iranian consulate in Damascus, killing several senior leaders of Tehran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the Pentagon said.
CBS reported that the U.S. has obtained intelligence that indicates Iran is planning a retaliatory attack using Shaheed loitering drones and cruise missiles. While the timing and target are unknown, officials told CBS that a proportional response would suggest a strike on an Israeli diplomatic building, with the attack likely to occur before the end of Ramadan on Wednesday.
Another important variable, which is also unknown, is the location of the launch site for the drones and missiles. If they are launched from Iraq or Syria, Iran could make a feeble attempt at plausible deniability.
At the public funeral in Tehran on Friday for the seven IRGC members killed in the Damascus strike, IRGC overall commander Gen. Hossein Salami said Israel "cannot escape the consequences" of assassinating Iranian military officers. Salami reportedly did not provide any further indication about Iran's plans for retaliation.
Biden administration officials have sought to prevent Iranian retaliation on American facilities by saying the U.S. had no prior knowledge of the Israeli strike.
John Kirby, National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, told reporters Friday that President Joe Biden discussed Iranian threats to Israel with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a phone call Thursday.
"There was discussion between the two leaders about the very viable and quite public threat Iran is making to Israel's security in the last day or so, and the president made very clear — very clear — to Prime Minister Netanyahu that he can count on U.S. support to help them in their self-defense against threats directly and publicly posed by Iran," Kirby said.
The region could be plunged further into war should Iran strike an Israeli facility, as the Jewish state has already publicly warned that it will retaliate if Tehran attacks.