White House Fears Iranian Response To An Attack Could Overwhelm Israel’s Air Defenses

Iran’s military says it’s ready for anything at a moment President Trump has reiterated that an Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear sites could be imminent. Such a strike “could very well happen,” the president said Thursday.

But…“We are ready for any scenario and have a military strategy,” commander-in-chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Hossein Salami responded in speech on state TV.

Also, White House envoy Steve Witkoff has privately warned top Senate Republicans that Iran’s retaliation to an Israeli strike on its nuclear program “could overwhelm Israel’s defenses and cause mass damage and casualties,” Axios reports.

Trump has said that while something ‘dangerous’ could happen ‘soon’ in the Middle East, the US remains “fairly close to an agreement with Iran” - thus this latest messaging is somewhat contradictory. 

Is all of the embassy drawdown reporting merely a ploy? CNN and others have been emphasizing all day that staff draw downs from American embassies in Iraq, Kuwait, and Bahrain are in preparation for something serious.

But it remains that this US State Dept ‘order’ could just be an extreme tactic to make Iran feel the pressure. According to more of the latest from Axios:

• Witkoff told the Senators that military strikes by Israel are on the table if no agreement is reached.
• He then brought up Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities. The U.S. is concerned Israel’s air defenses would not be able to handle an Iranian response involving hundreds of missiles, the sources said.
• Such an attack, Witkoff told the group, could cause massive casualties and damage.
• Witkoff also raised concerns about Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal during a speech in New York on Wednesday, calling it “as big of an existential threat” for Israel as Iran’s nuclear capabilities.

Among the worries is that Iran’s defense ministry is currently touting the rollout of a new ballistic missile with a 4,000-lb. warhead.

Aside from the damage this could do to Israel, there’s also the question of US military personnel stationed in the region. Has the Pentagon taken steps to protect these locations?

Meanwhile, below is Netanyahu’s Iran nuclear bomb claim timeline: 1992-present, @IsraeliLobby/X:

If the US truly believes an Israeli attack on Iran is imminent, we would probably see more urgent repositioning of US troops in the region – but so far there have been scant indicators of this. Prominent Pentagon correspondents have not obtained any statements or issued evidence of force protection or relocation measures. However, military dependents in some regions are being evacuated. 

Potentially in harm’s way if a broader Iran-Israel war breaks out…

According to NBC News late in the day Thursday, “If Israel carries out any operation against Iran, it will be carried out without any US military assistance.”