Iran is preparing to imminently carry out a ballistic missile attack against Israel, according to a senior White House official.
The unnamed official said the US was helping Israel defend itself and warned that a direct military attack on Israel would have “severe consequences” for Iran.
“We are actively supporting defensive preparations to defend Israel against this attack,” the White House official said.
An official added military and government sites, not civilian, were expected to be targeted.
State media in Iran has not suggested any attack is imminent. It comes after US officials told Sky’s partner network NBC News that Iran has signalled to the US that it still does not want a wider war.
Israel’s US Embassy directed all US government employees and their family members to shelter in place until further notice.
Iran previously launched an unprecedented direct attack on Israel in April, but most Iranian projectiles did not reach their targets.
Many were shot down by a US-led coalition, while others apparently failed at launch or crashed while in flight.
The latest warning comes as Israel’s military said its paratroopers and commandos were engaged in intense fighting with Iran-backed Hezbollah militants after launching “limited, localised and targeted raids” against the armed group in Lebanon.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said its air force and artillery supported ground troops as they targeted Hezbollah locations in the border area of southern Lebanon which “pose an immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel”, including stockpiles and weapons.
Israel says it wants about 60,000 of its residents to be able to safely return to their homes in the north of the country after they were displaced by Hezbollah rocket attacks which started on 8 October last year.
Israel has declined to say how deep its troops will venture into Lebanon or how long the operation is expected to last – but a military spokesman said it will continue tonight.
