The defense ministers of Israel and the US discuss the threat from Iran in full escalation

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant held a call last night with his American counterpart, Lloyd Austin, to discuss the threat of an Iranian attack in the midst of an escalation of tension in the region and in the midst of efforts to create an international coalition to repel such aggression.

"Gallant expressed his gratitude to Secretary Austin for the close military and strategic coordination between Israel and the United States, including the current and future deployment of US military capabilities and changes in the military posture in defense of Israel," the ministry said in a statement. .

On Friday, Austin ordered the sending of more aircraft and ships and combat aircraft to the Middle East due to the "possibility of regional escalation by Iran and its allies," Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Sigh explained then.

Both Defense officials also spoke by phone on Friday, to address Israel's protection from the Iranian threat.

Tensions in the region have increased after Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, threatened to take revenge for the elimination of the head of the political bureau of the Hamas terrorist group, Ismail Haniyeh, while he was on an official visit in Tehran, in an attack that the ayatollah regime has attributed to Israel.

In turn, the leader of the Lebanese Shiite terrorist group Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, already announced on Thursday in a speech that he will respond strongly to the selective bombing that last week killed its top military leader, Fuad Shukr, on the outskirts of Beirut. and that the Jerusalem authorities have claimed.

The American medium Axios published in the last few hours that the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, has spoken with his counterparts from the G7 countries to warn them that an attack by Iran and Hezbollah forces could occur within a period of between 24 and 48 hours.

According to Axios, the top US diplomat stressed to his allies his conviction that both Iran and Hezbollah will retaliate for the deaths of Shukr and Haniyeh, but unlike the Iranian attack on April 13 (in which the vast majority of the 350 drones and missiles that the Islamic republic launched against Israel were intercepted), this time it is not clear what form the response will take.

Agencies contributed to this Aurora article