New Delhi:

Israel is bracing for a direct attack from Iran amid growing warnings it will retaliate for last week’s killing of a senior official at the Iranian embassy in Damascus. U.S. and other intelligence assessments say retaliation could come as soon as Sunday. The unprecedented attack could trigger an all-out regional war.

US President Joe Biden also warned Israel that he expected an Iranian attack soon but warned the clerical state against one.

“I don’t want to reveal security information, but my expectation is that sooner or later,” Biden told reporters after the event.

Asked what his message would be about Iran attacking Israel, Biden said: “No.”

According to the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg, attacks from Iranian soil have become one of the main scenarios anticipated by the Jewish state and its allies. The report quoted people familiar with the matter as saying that bombings by drones and precision missiles may occur within the next 24 hours.

Any Iranian attack on Israel would likely be a combination of missiles and drones, based on current capabilities outlined in a new global threat assessment released by the Defense Intelligence Agency late Thursday.

The agency said the regime “has a large number of ballistic and cruise missiles capable of striking targets up to 2,000 kilometers from its borders”.

The United States has rushed additional military assets to protect Israel and U.S. forces in the region. The country has moved two naval destroyers to the eastern Mediterranean, according to naval officials. One of them is the USS Karni, which recently conducted air defense missions against Houthi drones and anti-ship missiles in the Red Sea.

“We are moving additional assets to the region to bolster regional deterrence efforts and enhance protection of U.S. forces,” a U.S. defense official in Washington said.

The United States has also doubled down on efforts to curb hostilities in the region, which has been on edge since Israel launched a massive offensive against the Palestinians to destroy the militant group Hamas.

U.S. officials have been working to get messages to Iran, including through established Swiss channels, while also engaging in talks with the governments of Israel, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other countries. Biden also sent Gen. Michael Kurila, head of U.S. Central Command, to Israel for emergency talks on the Iranian threat.

An Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus killed seven people, including two generals, intensifying a “shadow war” between the two Middle Eastern countries. Iran immediately issued a statement saying that it was ready for war and would give Israel a “slap in the face.”

Israel has since been on alert, canceling home leave for combat troops, calling up reservists and beefing up its air defense capabilities. The Israeli military disrupted navigation signals over Tel Aviv on Thursday to disrupt GPS-guided drones or missiles that might be launched into the country.