U.S. targets unlikely to be on list in possible Iranian attack, officials say

U.S. intelligence analysts and officials said Friday that they expected Iran to strike multiple targets inside Israel within the next few days in retaliation for an Israeli bombing April 1 in the Syrian capital that killed several senior Iranian commanders.

The United States, Israel’s preeminent ally, has military forces in several places across the Middle East. But Iran is not expected to target them in order to avoid a direct conflict with the United States, according to U.S. and Iranian officials who spoke anonymously about intelligence gathered on the expected attacks, which they were not authorized to discuss publicly.

Any Iranian strike inside Israel would be a watershed moment in the decades of hostilities between the two nations that would most likely open a volatile new chapter in the region. Israel and Iran do not maintain any direct channels of communication, making the chances far greater that each side could misread the other’s intentions. And an Iranian attack would heighten the risk of a wider conflict that could drag in multiple countries, including the United States.

In remarks to reporters Friday, President Joe Biden said that he expected a military attack against Israel “sooner rather than later” and that his message to Iran was “don’t.”

“We are devoted to the defense of Israel,” he added. “We will support Israel. We will help defend Israel and Iran will not succeed.”

In anticipation of an Iranian strike, several countries, including the United States, issued new guidelines to their citizens for travel in Israel and the surrounding region. The Israeli military said its forces were on high alert.

The State Department barred its employees Thursday from traveling to large parts of Israel, the first time the U.S. government has restricted its employees’ movement this way since the war in the Gaza Strip began more than six months ago.

On Thursday, Britain told its citizens that they “should consider leaving” Israel and the Palestinian territories “if it is safe to do so.” On Friday, India told its citizens “not to travel to Iran or Israel till further notice.” And France advised people not to travel to Israel, Iran or Lebanon, and evacuated the families of French diplomats from Iran.

Details about Iran’s potential attack on Israel are closely guarded, but U.S. and Israeli officials have assessed that it might involve drones and missiles. Iran has the largest arsenal of ballistic missiles and drones in the Middle East, including cruise missiles and antiship missiles, experts say, as well as short-range and long-range ballistic missiles with ranges up to 1,250 miles.

The exact form an attack on Israel might take, what kinds of targets would be involved and the precise timing all remain unclear.