August 6 :
In the midst of rising tensions in the region, US President Joe Biden was updated on developments in West Asia in the Situation Room on Tuesday (August 6), Washington, DC Among those present during the discussions was Vice President Kamala Harris.
The situation in West Asia is still difficult since tensions between Israel and Hezbollah have been rising The vice president and I were briefed on Middle Eastern developments earlier in the day in the Situation Room. In his post on X, Biden detailed the latest developments about Iran and its proxies' threats, diplomatic initiatives to reduce tensions in the region, and measures to defend Israel in the event of another attack.
"We also discussed the steps we are taking to defend our forces and respond to any attack against our personnel in a manner and place of our choosing," according to him.
General Michael Kurilla, head of US Central Command, landed in the region on Saturday as US-based news website Axios reported, citing two US officials, that Iran is preparing to launch an attack on Israel in reaction to the recent assassinations of senior leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah. The news site reported that the visit of General Kurilla was originally scheduled before the current escalation in tensions among Israel, Iran, and Hezbollah over the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas's political bureau, in Tehran. However, it is now being viewed as a strategic maneuver.
U.S. and Israeli authorities have stated that they are unaware of whether Hezbollah and Iran will launch a joint attack or work independently. Officials have stated their belief that Iran and Hezbollah are currently in the process of approving and finalizing their military plans.
According to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas's political bureau, was assassinated in an incident in Tehran on July 31. The IRGC released a statement confirming that Haniyeh and one of his bodyguards were killed in the Tehran explosion that occurred at their apartment.
The Qatari Haniyeh was in Tehran for the swearing-in of Masoud Pezeshkian, the new president of Iran.
In the meantime, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced that a strike in southern Lebanon on Tuesday (local time) killed Fuad Shukr, a prominent commander of Hezbollah. Juxtaposed with the terror group's "force build-up, planning, and execution of terror attacks against the State of Israel," the IDF held Shukr "responsible for the majority of Hezbollah’s most advanced weaponry, including precise-guided missiles, cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles, long-range rockets, and UAVs," according to The Times of Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly told CNN on July 30 that his country has dealt "crushing blows" to its enemies in recent days. Minutes after top Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr and Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh were assassinated, he delivered the remarks.
