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Iran’s retaliation for Hamas leader’s killing may take Israel by surprise — newspaper

The Pentagon said earlier that it would deploy additional fighter jets and warships to the Middle East to bolster defenses

NEW YORK, August 3. /TASS/. Iran’s new strike on Israel may turn out to be broader than its April assault, the Wall Street Journal writes.

The paper points out that in April, Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles towards Israel, "but only after telegraphing its response to diplomats ahead of time and giving Israel and the US time to prepare." As a result, "most of the projectiles were shot down before reaching Israel." However, "this time, Israel and its allies are operating in a vacuum."

US and Arab diplomats working to prevent tensions in the Middle East from rising further, "are getting an angry silence" from Iran and the Lebanon-based Hezbollah movement, which are preparing to retaliate for the killings of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut.

A US official told the paper that Washington is taking a cautious approach for now as there is "no indication Iran has made a decision about whether and how to respond, and an expectation that any response is likely a few days to a week away."

The Pentagon said earlier that it would deploy additional fighter jets and warships to the Middle East to bolster defenses.