The US is seeing indications that Iran has stepped up its readiness to launch short- and medium-range ballistic missiles following the killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force, in an American airstrike, CNN reported Saturday.
The network quoted an unnamed US official with direct knowledge on the issue, as Washington braces for Iran’s response to Friday’s strike. Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has said Tehran will react with “harsh revenge” to the hit on the popular general, who was his personal friend.
US intelligence is conducting surveillance by various means to assess when the missiles could be ready to launch, the report said.
Meanwhile, another unnamed US official told CNN that American defense chiefs were holding intense discussions as they try to ascertain whether Iran plans to retaliate in the next few days, with “conflicting views” on when a major attack may come.
An assault was definitely expected “within weeks” at maximum, the official said.
Iran has vowed harsh retaliation for the death of Soleimani, the mastermind of its regional military strategy. He was killed early Friday near the Baghdad international airport along with senior Iraqi militants in an airstrike ordered by US President Donald Trump. The attack has caused regional tensions to soar and tested the US alliance with Iraq.
A senior Iranian commander on Saturday threatened that some 35 US targets in the Middle East, as well as Tel Aviv, were within reach of Tehran to avenge the killing of Soleimani.
“The Strait of Hormuz is a vital point for the West and a large number of American destroyers and warships cross there… vital American targets in the region have been identified by Iran since a long time ago,” said General Gholamali Abuhamzeh, the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps in the southern province of Kerman, according to the Reuters news agency.
“Some 35 US targets in the region, as well as Tel Aviv, are within our reach,” he added.
Israel has reportedly raised its security alert at missions worldwide, and the IDF has heightened its alert, amid Iranian revenge threats.
Israel will convene its security cabinet on Sunday in the wake of Iranian threats to avenge Soleimani.
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Saturday stressed the “need for deescalation.”
After meeting Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Brussels, Borrell tweeted: “Spoke w Iranian FM @JZarif about recent developments. Underlined need for de-escalation of tensions, to exercise restraint & avoid further escalation.”
The strike has raised fears of an all-out war, but it’s unclear how or when Iran might respond. Any retaliation was likely to come after three days of mourning declared in both Iran and Iraq. All eyes were on Iraq, where America and Iran have competed for influence since the 2003 US-led invasion.
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