UPDATE - US expects major Iranian attack on Israel ‘as soon as Friday’: Report

UPDATES WITH REPORT FROM CBS NEWS; REVISES HEADLINE, DECK, LEDE

By Necva Tastan

ISTANBUL (AA) - Washington expects a major Iranian strike that may possibly include over 100 drones and dozens of missiles targeting military sites inside Israel “as soon as Friday,” according to a US media report.

"It would be challenging for the Israelis to defend against an attack of such a magnitude, and while they held out the possibility that the Iranians could opt for a smaller-scale attack to avoid a dramatic escalation, their retaliation was believed to be imminent," the Washington-based CBS news reported, citing two US officials.

The US State Department warned on Thursday Americans in Israel against traveling outside major cities.

Washington also asked its embassy employees and their families in Israel to restrict their travels in the country amid threats by Iran to retaliate for an attack on its consulate in Syria.

Meanwhile, Israel is preparing for a direct attack from Iran within two days, but Iran has not yet made a final decision on the attack, US-based Wall Street Journal reported.

Quoting a source, it claimed that following Tel Aviv's attack on the consulate building in Iran's Embassy compound in Damascus, Tehran's potential retaliation is expected to be directly aimed at Israel.

A second source, reportedly informed by the Iranian leadership, stated that while discussions about attack plans are underway, a final decision has not been made.

Iran is likely to carry out a retaliatory attack within Israel in the next few days, according to an assessment based on intelligence reports by a US official, it reported.

An adviser to Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also said: “The strike plans are in front of the Supreme Leader and he is still weighing the political risk."

Israel is on high alert amid fears of a possible Iranian attack on Israeli targets after threats by Tehran to retaliate for an alleged Israeli strike on the Iranian Consulate in Damascus on April 1.

At least seven members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were killed in the attack, including two top generals.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz threatened Wednesday that his country’s military would strike Iran directly if Tehran launched an attack from its territory against Israel.

The escalation comes as Israel continues to wage a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack in early October by the Palestinian group Hamas, which killed around 1,200 people.

More than 33,600 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza and over 76,000 injured besides causing mass destruction and displacement.