U.S. President Joe Biden will convene his national security team on Monday to discuss the Middle East crisis and the expectation that Iran will launch a strike on Israel.
Ahead of the meeting, Biden is expected to speak with Jordan's King Abdullah II; the Jordanians participated in the coalition defending Israel when Iran launched its 300 missiles and drones at it in April.
Israel remains on high alert as officials consider a possible response should strategic targets be compromised in an Iranian strike. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu summoned security officials late on Sunday to discuss possible scenarios and decide on action.
The Israeli assumption is that an attack from Iran and Hezbollah in response to the assassination of Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut and Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran is inevitable.
Government officials said Israel will be able to withstand such an attack and that Iran, like Israel, does not want to expand the conflict to a regional war. The officials understand they have failed in their messaging to the public.
They say the concern in Israel is over how Iran will react to an Israeli response. For the first time, the prime minister and his security officials discussed a possible preemptive strike should the opportunity present itself, and that advanced intelligence on the Iranian strike plan, would be available as it was in April. However, the possibility of such a strike depends on whether the intelligence would support it and be available to both Israel and the United States.
Israel's response therefore would depend on its ability to thwart attacks. "There is a host of options and variables," one official said.
Officials in Jerusalem say Israel's military capabilities and American military involvement are at their peak. They note that whether the same coalition that responded to the Iranian strike in April will do the same this time, would depend on the type of attack on Israel.