NEW YORK, August 7. /TASS/. The US is concerned that Iran could respond in kind to Israel for the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, the USA Today reported.
The US has detected signs that Iran is preparing a retaliatory attack on Israel, according to the report that cited two unidentified US officials. The scope and timing of the retribution remain unclear, the newspaper said.
"Iran may seek to weave an unconventional attack, such as an assassination, into a conventional assault with missiles because Iran's barrage of 300 missiles and drones unleashed against Israel in April was largely ineffective," the report said, citing one of the officials.
"Another worry is that Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon will join in the attack," the newspaper reported, citing one of the officials. "They have an arsenal of rockets and missiles capable of inflicting significant damage in Israel."
Iran in April launched drones and missiles toward Israel in response to an Israeli attack on the consular office of the Iranian Embassy in Damascus, which killed at least 13 people. The Israel Defense Forces said it intercepted 99% of the Iranian projectiles, saying only that minor damage was caused to Nevatim Air Base.
Another round of escalation in Gaza followed the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31, and the elimination of Fuad Shukr, a Hezbollah commander, in Beirut. Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah held Israel responsible for the incidents and said they would not let it go unanswered. Israel did not comment on Haniyeh's killing, and said Shukr was taken out in response to the shelling of the Druze village of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights, which killed 12 people. Hezbollah denied involvement in the incident.