WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Sunday that Iran is preparing for a large-scale military attack on Israel, Axios reporter Barak Ravid said in a report on X, citing a source with knowledge of the conversation.
In a statement on Monday, Gallant’s department confirmed the conversation took place overnight. It said Gallant and Austin discussed operational and strategic coordination and the Israeli military’s preparedness for Iranian threats.
Austin, meanwhile, has 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 naval warships to the region to bolster Israeli defenses.
On Friday, a deputy commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards was quoted by local news agencies as saying Iran would carry out an order from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to “severely punish” Israel for the July 31 killing of the Palestinian militant leader. group Hamas in Tehran.
(Reporting by Eric Beech; Editing by Caitlin Webber and Mark Heinrich)