US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin (3rd R) meets with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (L) at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, 25 June 2024. (Saul Loeb/AFP)
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant told US Defense
Secretary Lloyd Austin on Sunday that Iran was making preparations for a
large-scale military attack on Israel, Axios reporter Barak Ravid said in a
post on X, citing a source with knowledge of the call.
In a statement on Monday, Gallant’s ministry confirmed the
call took place overnight. It said Gallant and Austin discussed operational and
strategic coordination and the Israeli military’s readiness in the face of
Iranian threats.
FOLLOW IT LIVE | DEVELOPING: US to deploy guided missile submarine to Middle East – Pentagon
Austin has meanwhile ordered the deployment of a guided
missile submarine to the Middle East. The US military had already said it would
deploy additional fighter jets and Navy warships to the region to bolster
Israeli defences.
On Friday, an Iranian Revolutionary Guards deputy commander
was quoted as saying by local news agencies that Iran was set to carry out an
order by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to “harshly punish”
Israel over the assassination on 31 July of the leader of Palestinian militant
group Hamas in Tehran.
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