A senior White House official said the United States has signs that Iran is preparing to launch an imminent ballistic missile attack on Israel. An Israeli military spokesman said: "We have not identified any air threat from Iran."

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the United States was actively supporting preparations to defend Israel from a possible attack that would have serious consequences for Iran.

The warning came after Israeli troops entered southern Lebanon to escalate operations against the Tehran-backed Hezbollah.

Shortly before midnight local time, Israeli forces began what Israel called "targeted ground attacks" along with airstrikes on Beirut's southern suburbs, with the army later reporting "heavy fighting." The IDF said Hezbollah responded with a barrage of rockets, and millions of Israelis moved to shelters.

Oil prices soared after news of the potential attack, and gold and U.S. bonds also rose. WTI crude oil rose 3.00% during the day, and Brent crude oil rose $2.01 during the day. Spot gold once broke through $2,670 per ounce.

In the two weeks before that, Israel assassinated Hezbollah leader Nasrallah and launched an overwhelming bombing campaign that killed more than 1,000 people in Lebanon and displaced as many as 1 million.

As the intensity of Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza wanes, the Israeli military has stepped up its crackdown on Iranian proxies in the region.

The regional escalation has coincided with an escalation in Israeli rhetoric, with officials talking about “defeating” Hezbollah and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledging last week to “change the balance of power in the region that has been in place for years.”

Article forwarded from: Jinshi Data