US does not expect to be drawn into war but predicts attack by Iran

12/4/2024 13:55

        The United States expects an attack by Iran against Israel but one that would not be big enough to draw Washington into war, a U.S. official said late on Thursday.
        
        The White House said earlier Washington did not want conflict to spread in the Middle East and the U.S. had told Iran it was not involved in an air strike against a top Iranian military commander in Damascus.
        
        The White House added it warned Iran to not use that attack as a pretext to escalate further in the region.
        
        Suspected Israeli warplanes bombed Iran's embassy in Damascus on Monday in a strike for which Iran has vowed revenge ratcheting up tension in a region already strained by the Gaza war.
        
        Tehran has signalled to Washington that it will respond to Israel's attack on its Syrian embassy in a way that aims to avoid major escalation and it will not act hastily, as Tehran presses demands including a Gaza truce.