Iran preparing to launch missile attack against Israel, says US official

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The US believes that Iran is “preparing to imminently launch a ballistic missile attack against Israel”, a US official said on Tuesday, threatening “severe consequences” if the attack were carried out.

The warning came as Israel launched a ground offensive in Lebanon on Tuesday, intensifying its campaign against Hizbollah after launching waves of devastating air strikes against the Tehran-backed Lebanese militant group.

It follows a dramatic two-week period, during which Israel assassinated Hizbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah and launched an overwhelming bombing campaign that has killed more than 1,000 people in Lebanon, and displaced as many as 1mn.

As Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza has lowered in intensity, its military stepped up strikes on Iranian proxies in the region.

The regional escalation has been accompanied by a ratcheting up of Israel’s rhetoric, with officials talking about “defeating” Hizbollah and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledging last week to “change the balance of power in the region for years”.

This is a developing story