US and allies prepare to defend Israel as Netanyahu says it's already in 'multi-front war' with Iran

FRANCE 24 English

Visit our website: http://www.france24.com  Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FRANCE24.English  Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/France24_en

Transcript

00:00Now Israel is already in a multi-front war with Iran and its proxies that is according to the Israeli Prime Minister

00:07Benjamin Netanyahu as he told a cabinet meeting that Israel is ready for any scenario

00:14Iran and its proxies seek to surround us with a stranglehold of terror on several fronts

00:20Their visible aggression is insatiable

00:24But Israel is not helpless

00:26We are determined to stand against them on every front in every arena far and near

00:36Anyone who murders our citizens anyone who harms our country will be held accountable

00:41They will pay a very heavy price

00:46That as Jordan's foreign minister is making a rare trip to Iran as part of last-minute efforts to end any

00:52Escalation in the region the White House saying it is deploying more military might in the Middle East as a defensive measure

01:00That a Pentagon is moving significant assets to the region to prepare for what may be another need to defend Israel from an attack

01:09While simultaneously we are working very hard to de-escalate this situation

01:13Diplomatically because we do not believe that a regional war is in anyone's interest

01:17In the current moment and and that is something that we've been trying to avoid since October 7th

01:21Well, let's cross live then to Washington we're going to speak to our correspondent Fraser Jackson who joins us from there Fraser

01:27Do we have any idea just how imminent any Iranian response to what happened last week could be?

01:34Well government sources that I'm talking to you are expecting some kind of response within the next 24 to 48 hours

01:40That is as well what we're hearing from other sources that are other

01:44Correspondents here in Washington are also hearing from different sources and also backing up axios reporting

01:49That's came from the secretary Blinken three sources on a call with him and the g7 foreign ministers

01:55Where he said that they were expecting a response as soon as Monday morning at local time

02:00So imminently really and the thing is this attack that they are expecting could take many forms

02:07They were back in April when that first attack came. It was around 300

02:12projectiles drones that were fired from Iran towards Israel

02:16But the Israelis this time have said that they're expecting

02:20this attack to take place over the course of several days and to

02:24Be attempted to be ground down by these projectiles

02:27The u.s. Says that it's expecting this attack to come from both Iran and also Hezbollah in the north as well

02:34so a two-fronted attack as it were really the

02:38US saying though that it's

02:41Pushing of more resources into the area is purely defensive

02:44But of course they do have missile missile defense capabilities

02:48So they will be able to shoot down more projectiles

02:51But some of those might get there too late some of the aircraft carriers

02:54For example in the strike groups that they're wanting to get in place could be

02:57Could be too far gone by the time this attack does happen if indeed it does take place in the next 24 to 48 hours

03:04But of course regional countries are also worried Jordan's

03:08Foreign minister is in Iran the first time he's been there for almost a decade

03:13And also Joe Biden will be holding a call with the king of Jordan as they discuss ways to

03:19De-escalate this tension, of course

03:21Jordan plays a pivotal role because it allowed the u.s. To

03:23Shoot down missiles and drones that were flying over from Iran towards Israel during the last attack in April

03:30And Joe Biden would also convene a meeting of his National Security Council in the situation room once he gets back from his

03:38Weekend tomorrow, so all signs really are pointing to the u.s

03:42Trying to calm tensions calm down the escalations and they're expecting their regional partners to help do that and try to temper

03:50Any response from Hezbollah and from Iran as well

03:53Frazier it comes doesn't it amid ongoing tensions between Joe Biden and Benjamin Netanyahu

04:00Yeah, I think the White House has been trying to rein in Netanyahu over the course of the last couple of months and Netanyahu

04:06Has spoken to Biden at least twice in the course of the last week and a half

04:09Of course, he was in the Oval Office

04:11Just a week and a half ago the first time he's been there since he came during the Trump administration

04:16And we're told that in that meeting

04:20Netanyahu said that he agreed that a ceasefire was the best way to go forward and it was a it was the it was the

04:27The Americans trying to get BB to get across the line on a ceasefire deal

04:31We are told from sources that Netanyahu was speaking to Biden when Biden said I expect this to get across the line

04:37Within the next week or two, but then you fast-forward a few days after that and Israel

04:43committed allegedly those two assassinations both in

04:47Lebanon and also in Iran and we are told that that did not

04:51That really angers the American government who were trying to you know, make sure that escalations didn't

04:57Expand in the region, so not really exactly what the Netanyahu

05:02Government said that they would do and the Biden administration wanted either

05:06Fraser, thanks so much. Fraser Jackson talking to us there from Washington

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended