Senior US official says Israel preparing for war with Iran

Israel and Iran are heading towards open warfare according to a senior US official. Speaking to NBC news, the unnamed official, who made his remarks after last Sunday’s Israeli air strike on Syria, said Tel Aviv was preparing for war with Tehran

“On the list of the potentials for most likely live hostility around the world, the battle between Israel and Iran in Syria is at the top of the list right now,” said the senior US official.

According to the NBC report, Iran is also making preparations for a showdown with Israel. The American news agency reported that in the past two weeks Iran has increased military cargo flights to Syria, stocked with additional weapons and supplies like small arms, ammunition and surface-to-air missiles that two US officials believe are meant both to shore up Iranian ground forces and to strike at Israel.

Read: Israel prepares for possible attack by Iran

US Defence Secretary James Mattis was asked by reporters earlier in the week about the weapons being shipped from Iran to Syria and whether they would be used against Israel. Mattis responded: “I can’t think of any other purpose for them right now.”

Last Sunday Israeli F-15s launched an assault on the western Syrian city of Hama following claims that Iran delivered weapons to the base. The strike killed at least 26 pro-Syrian regime fighters, mostly Iranians and injured dozens of others.

The Israeli military acknowledges it has struck inside Syria more than 100 times since 2012, targeting weapons convoys it believes were intended for the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.