update deskU.S.-Israel Relations

Biden told timing, nature of Iranian, Hezbollah attacks unclear

U.S. intelligence indicates Hezbollah and Iran will attack separately, and that their plans are still "works in progress," according to U.S. officials.

U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are briefed in the White House Situation Room on Aug. 5, 2024. Credit: White House.
U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are briefed in the White House Situation Room on Aug. 5, 2024. Credit: White House.

U.S. President Joe Biden convened his national security team in the White House Situation Room on Monday afternoon to discuss recent developments in the Middle East.

Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were told that it is still unclear when Iran and Hezbollah will launch their threatened attacks against Israel, or what form those strikes would take, three U.S. officials told Axios reporter Barak Ravid.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken told his counterparts from the G7 countries on Sunday that Iran and Hezbollah could attack Israel in the next 24 to 48 hours, but Monday’s assessment in the Situation Room was more nuanced, according to U.S. officials.

Security officials told Biden and Harris that the attack is predicted to comprise two waves—one from Hezbollah and another from Iran and its other proxies.

According to U.S. intelligence, it is still unclear who will attack first. One U.S. official told Axios that intelligence indicates that the attack plans are “still a work in progress.”

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