The Biden administration expresses concerns over potential Iranian attacks and coordinates defensive strategies with Israel, as revealed by a U.S. government source.
The United States is readying countermeasures in response to potential aggression, stated an authority figure.
In the midst of April, the Biden administration orchestrated an international defense for Israel, following Iran's retaliation against Israeli airstrikes on Iranian Revolutionary Guard officials in Syria by launching over 300 drones and missiles at Israel.
The US authority wouldn't reveal the anticipated Iranian attack or the specific steps the military is taking.
There's been an escalation in apprehensions of a wider conflict in the Middle East, given Israel's escalating assaults on Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hezbollah's pledge to persist, despite the mounting casualties among its top commanders.
The Pentagon issued a statement on Sunday, asserting, "Should Iran, its associates, or its proxies utilize this opportunity to aim at American personnel or interests in the region, the United States will implement all necessary actions to safeguard our people."
General Patrick Ryder, Spokesperson for the Defense Department, highlighted the presence of "substantial capacity in the region," such as the USS Abrahm Lincoln Carrier Strike Group.
Nasrallah was eliminated in a devastating Israeli bombardment in southern Beirut on Friday. He was the commander of Iran's most dominant Middle Eastern proxies for decades, and his demise could seriously impair Hezbollah and weaken Iran's influence in the region.
Biden administration officials are also justifying their announcement of the "ceasefire proposal" breakthrough between Israel and Hezbollah last week, which quickly turned into a source of embarrassment for the administration when Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu underscored Israeli forces' intent to continue attacking Hezbollah.
US officials attribute the shift in Israel's stance to the proposal being finalized on Wednesday, after approval from 11 other allies. Israel saw this as an opportunity to target Nasrallah, stated a US official.
According to a US official, the administration authorized the US-led statement issued on Wednesday after collaborating with Israel for several days. Senior Biden administration officials informatively informed reporters on a hastily-arranged call that "the ceasefire will last for 21 days" along the Lebanon-Israel border.
They anticipated it would take effect promptly, facilitating diplomatic efforts towards a more permanent truce.
However, Netanyahu declared later that Israel "will continue to attack Hezbollah with all our strength."
Israeli officials attempted to explain the situation as an "unintentional miscommunication."
They maintained that they assumed the proposal from the US, France, and other countries was just the commencement of a potential process leading to a ceasefire.
But "Americans thought it marked the culmination of the process and the start of the ceasefire," a senior Israeli official told CNN.
What assured American officials was their communication directly with one of Netanyahu's closest advisors, Ron Dermer. He and US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan had initiated the discussions two days prior, on Monday.
The US official confirmed on Sunday that the administration abandoned pushing last week's ceasefire plan once they learned Israel might target Nasrallah. However, the White House asserts that diplomatic efforts to help restore tens of thousands of Lebanese and Israeli civilians to their homes remain active.
"I believe we can agree on the necessity of de-escalation here," the White House's national security spokesperson, John Kirby, told CNN on Sunday.
"We continue to believe, and so do, that an all-out war with Hezbollah, especially with Iran, is not the way to achieve that. If you aim to safely and sustainably bring those people back home, we believe that a diplomatic approach is the appropriate approach," he added.
In the context of potential threats, the US authorities are closely monitoring the political landscape to avoid any escalation.
Given the complex nature of Middle Eastern politics, maintaining diplomatic relations and peaceful resolutions are crucial for preventing wider conflicts.
