WH believes Iran is preparing imminent ballistic missile attack against Israel

The White House on Tuesday said the US believes Iran is preparing an imminent ballistic missile attack against Israel.

“The United States has indications that Iran is preparing to imminently launch a ballistic missile attack against Israel. We are actively supporting defensive preparations to defend Israel against this attack. A direct military attack from Iran against Israel will carry severe consequences for Iran,” a senior White House official said in a statement.

The US is prepared to do whatever it can to help Israel intercept anything Iran directs its way, similar to how the US offered its assistance in April, when Iran launched a wave of drones and missiles towards Israel — the vast majority of which were successfully intercepted, a US official said.

The scale of the anticipated Iranian attack this time was not immediately clear.

Tensions between Israel and Iran have ratcheted up significantly in recent weeks as Israel has stepped up its efforts against Hezbollah in Lebanon, an Iran-backed militant group. Israel on Monday launched a ground operation in southern Lebanon targeting Hezbollah.

This story is breaking and will be updated.