The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has warned Israel that Iran could launch a major military operation within 48 hours in retaliation for an apparent Israeli airstrike that destroyed an Iranian consulate in Syria, killing dozens of Iranian officials and generals, according to Voxnews. This comes as Iranian leaders have promised to hit back at Israel, with President Ebraham Raisi saying that the attack “will not remain without answer.”

The US is concerned the deadly strike in Damascus could trigger new attacks on American troops by Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and Syria, said Lt Gen Alexus Grynkewich, the top US Air Force commander for the Middle East. By attacking an Iranian diplomatic station, Israel's apparent escalation has raised fears that the devastating six-month war against Hamas could spill over into the entire Mideast region and beyond.

On top of that, the United States, Britain and France on Wednesday opposed a Russian-drafted UN Security Council statement that would have condemned an attack on Iran's embassy compound in Syria. The three countries said many of the facts of what happened on Monday in Damascus remained unclear, while Israel is yet to claim responsibility for the attack.