US carrier strike group is rushed to the Middle East as new Israeli intelligence suggests Iran attack within days

A US aircraft carrier group has been rushed to the Middle East as new Israeli intelligence suggests Iran will launch an attack within days.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered a guided-missile submarine to the Middle East on Sunday night and ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group to quickly move to the area, the Defense Department announced.

The move came just hours after Austin spoke with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said.

During that conversation, Gallant told Austin that Iranian military preparations indicate the Iranian country is preparing for a large-scale attack in retaliation for the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas. Axios reports.

His killing, as well as that of Hezbollah’s top military commander Fuad Shukr by Israel in a strike on Beirut, have fueled concerns about a wider war in the Middle East.

Austin then reiterated the US commitment to “take all possible steps to defend Israel and pointed to the strengthening of US military power and capabilities in the Middle East in light of escalating regional tensions,” Ryder said.

The Lincoln, already stationed in the Asia-Pacific region, had already been sent to the region to replace the USS Theodore Roosevelt, an aircraft carrier sailing home from the Middle East.

Austin said last week that the Lincoln, which operates stealth F-35C fighter jets and several destroyers, would arrive in the region later this month.

It is unclear how soon the Lincoln would arrive.

Meanwhile, the USS Georgia, a nuclear-powered submarine armed with cruise missiles, has been active in the Mediterranean Sea in recent days, the Navy said.

Austin ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group (pictured) to move quickly into the area

It is rare for the US to announce such ship movements, but authorities are preparing for an Iranian attack on Israel in retaliation for the killing of the Hamas political leader in Tehran.

Israeli intelligence now believes the attack could take place within two days, before Gaza hostage-taking and ceasefire negotiations scheduled for Thursday, potentially jeopardizing the negotiations.

Still, Iran’s mission to the United Nations said in a statement on Friday: “We hope that our response will be timed and executed in a manner that does not compromise a possible ceasefire.”

Israeli intelligence previously believed that international pressure and internal debates could prompt Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameni to delay, limit or minimize retaliatory measures against Israel.

The Israeli memorandum was drafted in the past 24 hours.

Israeli intelligence previously believed that Iran had not yet decided on the timing and nature of its response, and that international pressure and internal debates could prompt Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameni to delay, limit or minimize retaliatory measures against Israel.

They still believe Hezbollah will strike first in retaliation for the killing of its top military commander in Beirut, with Iran then launching a direct attack of its own, Axios reports.

According to sources, the attacks are likely to be larger than those carried out by Iran in April last year and will involve firing missiles and drones at military targets in central Israel, including near populated areas.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (left) has now warned Iran and Hezbollah to avoid retaliatory actions against Israel. He is pictured with Army Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi

Gallant has now warned Iran and Hezbollah not to retaliate against Israel.

“Anyone who harms us in a way that has never happened before is likely to be harmed in a way that has never happened before,” he said Sunday. according to DPA.

‘I hope they think about this and that it doesn’t get to the point where they focus us on other fronts and increase the chance of war breaking out.

“We don’t want that, but we have to be prepared.”

IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari also said that IDF forces are “deployed and prepared in a high state of readiness.”

“Should it be necessary to change the instructions, we will communicate this via a clear message on the official channels,” he said.

Hezbollah fired a barrage of rockets into northern Israel in support of the Palestinian people

Meanwhile, Hezbollah fired a barrage of rockets into northern Israel on Sunday night, CNN reports.

According to the terrorist group, the rockets were fired in support of the Palestinian people in Gaza and in retaliation for Israeli attacks in Lebanon, which reportedly killed two of its members.

Hezbollah also said it had attacked a group of Israeli soldiers near the border. Israeli forces also reportedly attacked other targets belonging to a pro-Iranian militia.

However, sources say that the internal debate in Iran is still ongoing and it is possible that Iranian decision-making will still change.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard wants a tougher and broader response than Iran’s April 13 attack on Israel.

However, the new Iranian president and his advisers believe that a regional escalation would not be in Iran’s interest now. The White House’s efforts to reach a deal suffered a setback when Hamas announced that it had rejected an invitation from the US, Qatar and Egypt for a final round of negotiations.