UPDATE - US says Iran preparing imminent ballistic missile attack on Israel, warns Tehran of 'severe consequences'

ADDS DETAILS THROUGHOUT

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - The US is "actively supporting defensive preparations" for an imminent Iranian ballistic missile attack on Israel, a senior White House official said Tuesday, warning of "severe consequences" for Tehran if it carries out the attack.

"The United States has indications that Iran is preparing to imminently launch a ballistic missile attack against Israel," the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Anadolu.

"We are actively supporting defensive preparations to defend Israel against this attack. A direct military attack from Iran against Israel will carry severe consequences for Iran," the official added.

Israel's military echoed the White House official, saying any missile launch from Iran toward Israel "will have repercussions."

The warnings come as Israel launches a ground invasion of Lebanon after pounding it with airstrikes for more than one week in attacks it said are aimed at Hezbollah targets. More than 1,000 people have been killed in the air campaign with women and children accounting for about 25% of the dead, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.

Several senior Hezbollah officials have been killed in strikes, mainly in Beirut, including the group's former leader Hassan Nasrallah.

US Central Command said Tuesday that three US aircraft squadrons -- F-15E, F-16 and A-10 warplanes -- are arriving in the Middle East with another already in place.

Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in cross-border warfare since the start of Israel's war on the Gaza Strip, which has killed more than 41,600 people, most of them women and children. An Oct. 7, 2023, cross-border attack led by Hamas killed 1,189 people, and resulted in 250 others being taken back to Gaza as hostages.

The international community has warned that Israeli attacks in Lebanon could escalate the Gaza conflict into a wider regional war.