US, Israel brace for Iran retaliatory strikes
An Iranian attack on Israel is believed to be imminent


What happened
The top U.S. commander for the Middle East, Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, traveled to Israel on Thursday to coordinate Israel's defense against an expected attack from Iran as soon as this weekend. Tehran has vowed to punish Israel for an April 1 strike in Syria that killed senior Iranian commanders.
Who said what
"We have determined a simple rule: Whoever harms us, we will harm them," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday. Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said Wednesday that by attacking Tehran's Damascus consulate, "the evil regime made a mistake and must be punished and it shall be." President Joe Biden reiterated America's "ironclad" commitment to "Israel's security against these threats from Iran and its proxies." German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock called for "all actors in the region" to "exercise maximum restraint" and avoid "further regional escalation."
The commentary
The Pentagon was "frustrated that Israel did not notify the United States" before the Damascus attack, given "the strike's implications for U.S. troops and interests in the region," The Washington Post said. The U.S. now assesses that Iran is "calibrating" its "major retaliatory strike" to "send a message — but not spark a regional war that compels Washington to respond," Politico said.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
What next?
Iran's Revolutionary Guard has presented Israel "strike plans" to Khamenei, but "he is still weighing the political risk," an adviser to the paramilitary group told The Wall Street Journal.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Is Hollywood losing its luster?
Today's Big Question Television and film production is moving, leaving Hollywood to ponder its place in pop culture
-
White House tackles fake citations in MAHA report
speed read A federal government public health report spearheaded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was rife with false citations
-
Judge blocks push to bar Harvard foreign students
speed read Judge Allison Burroughs sided with Harvard against the Trump administration's attempt to block the admittance of international students
-
White House tackles fake citations in MAHA report
speed read A federal government public health report spearheaded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was rife with false citations
-
Judge blocks push to bar Harvard foreign students
speed read Judge Allison Burroughs sided with Harvard against the Trump administration's attempt to block the admittance of international students
-
Trump's trade war whipsawed by court rulings
Speed Read A series of court rulings over Trump's tariffs renders the future of US trade policy uncertain
-
Elon Musk departs Trump administration
speed read The former DOGE head says he is ending his government work to spend more time on his companies
-
Trump taps ex-personal lawyer for appeals court
speed read The president has nominated Emil Bove, his former criminal defense lawyer, to be a federal judge
-
US trade court nullifies Trump's biggest tariffs
speed read The US Court of International Trade says Trump exceeded his authority in imposing global tariffs
-
How the Arctic became a geopolitical flashpoint
The Explainer The UK is working with Nato allies in the Arctic Circle to prepare for potential Russian aggression
-
Trump pauses all new foreign student visas
speed read The State Department has stopped scheduling interviews with those seeking student visas in preparation for scrutiny of applicants' social media