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[Global Times reporter Li Ziyu] According to Axios News Network on August 1, three U.S. officials told the media that the Biden administration is convinced that Iran will attack Israel in retaliation for the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, leader of the Political Bureau of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), in Tehran on July 31, and said that Iran is preparing to retaliate.

On July 31, local time, Iranian people held Haniya's photos to participate in the protest at Tehran University. Photo from foreign media

U.S. officials said they expected Iran's retaliation to be similar to its April 13 attack on Israel, but possibly on a larger scale and could also involve Lebanon's Hezbollah, the report said.

According to previous media reports, on April 13 local time, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran issued a statement saying that in response to Israel’s numerous crimes, including the attack on the Iranian Embassy and Consulate in Syria and the deaths of many Iranian military personnel, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran used drones and missiles to launch strikes against certain Israeli targets.

Axios News reported that a U.S. official said that U.S. intelligence began to receive clear signs that Iran would retaliate on July 31. Two U.S. officials said that Iran and its "proxies" may need several days to coordinate and prepare for an attack on Israel.

The report said that another US official said that the Pentagon and US Central Command are taking similar preparations as before Iran attacked Israel in April. The official said that the preparations involve US military assets in the Gulf region, the eastern Mediterranean and the Red Sea. The official said, "We expect the next few days to be difficult." In addition, a senior Israeli official said that Israeli intelligence expects Iran to launch a large-scale missile attack on Israel.

Axios News Network mentioned that Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said at a press conference on August 1 that Israel's international partners have strengthened their forces in the region to help Israel deal with possible attacks. In addition, US President's National Security Advisor Sullivan said that the risk of a larger war in the Middle East still exists, and the Biden administration is stepping up efforts to prevent a larger-scale war and ease the situation through diplomatic means.

According to previous media reports, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard confirmed on July 31 that Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran that day. On the evening of July 31, local time, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu delivered a televised speech. Agence France-Presse said that in about five minutes, he did not mention the assassination of Haniyeh, but mentioned the death of Lebanese Hezbollah commander Shukur. According to Reuters, Netanyahu said that Israel had "destroyed Iranian proxies" in the past few days.

On July 31, the New York Times quoted three Iranian officials with knowledge of the matter as saying that Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei had ordered a direct attack on Israel in retaliation for Haniyeh's assassination in Tehran. The Washington Post reported on July 31 that Khamenei said in a statement that it was "our responsibility" to avenge Haniyeh's death. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that any retaliation would be "harsh and painful." According to CNN, Hezbollah leader Nasrallah said in a speech on August 1 that "Israel did not realize that it had crossed the red line."

"Two enemies of Israel killed, Middle East pushed to the brink of a larger war", the headline of the Wall Street Journal in the United States expressed the concerns of the international community. The New York Times revealed that Iranian leaders have issued orders to directly strike Israel, but it is unclear how strongly Iran will respond or whether it will adjust again to avoid escalation. So far, Israel has not claimed responsibility for the killing of Haniyeh. Although Iran is believed to have no intention of launching a large-scale war, analysts warn that "every escalation increases the risk of things getting out of control". Many Middle Eastern media believe that the existing regional balance has been disturbed and Haniyeh's death may trigger a larger geopolitical turmoil. "The Middle East must retreat from the brink", the British magazine The Economist said in an article that achieving this goal still needs to start with a ceasefire in Gaza.