Pentagon watches closely for signs Iran will attack Israel

WASHINGTON — As the opening round of last-ditch cease-fire talks wrapped up in Doha on Friday, US military and intelligence agencies continued to keep a close eye on Iran, Hezbollah and other militias in Iraq and Syria for signs of an imminent attack against Israel.

While the Biden administration, along with Qatari and Egyptian mediators, believes the talks could provide Iran’s leaders with an off-ramp to avoid a major escalation, the threat of retaliation against Israel for the killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran earlier this month has not yet diminished, US officials suggested.

Hezbollah has also continued to signal intent to retaliate against Israel for its assassination of top commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut the day before. On Friday the Iran-backed Lebanese militia released an ominous video purporting to depict a subterranean missile storage facility.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with Israel’s defense minister, Yoav Gallant, by phone at 8 a.m. on Friday morning, Washington time, to discuss “the growing risk of escalation” by Iran, Hezbollah and other Iran-backed militias across the Middle East, according to a Pentagon readout of the call.