The Israeli authorities alerted the United States prior to executing their operations in Lebanon on Tuesday, but chose not to disclose the specifics of their strategy, according to reliable sources.
Information lacking about the operation had US officials clueless until news of hundreds of exploding walkie-talkies surfaced shortly after, as reported by sources.
CNN discovered that Israel was behind the bold assault, which has ratcheted up the tension in an already volatile area. The operation was a joint venture between Israel's intelligence agency, Mossad, and the Israeli military. Lebanon's government denounced the attack as "Israeli criminal aggression."
On Wednesday, walkie-talkies blew up in a new series of explosions in Lebanon, a security source informed CNN. It remains unclear who was responsible or if the US was alerted.
Tuesday's explosions transpired as Secretary of State Antony Blinken was en route from Washington to Cairo, leaving US diplomats in awe as they witnessed the unfolding events live on their in-flight TVs.
Israel's history of provocative actions around the same time Blinken visited the Middle East isn't new. However, this specific action stirred worries about a potential regional escalation that the US has striven to prevent. Blinken affirmed that the US "was not aware of nor involved in these incidents."
The US communicated to Iran via an undercover channel that they were not implicated in the attack and urged Iran to refrain from escalation, a separate US source told CNN. Iran's ambassador to Lebanon was reportedly harmed by the exploding walkie-talkies, as per Iranian state media. Throughout the almost year-long war in Gaza, the US has consistently sent indirect messages to Tehran urging against escalation.
Gallant and Austin had a second conversation on Tuesday after it was verified that thousands of Hezbollah members were hurt by exploding walkie-talkies, but officials declined to divulge the discussion details.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre clarified on Tuesday that "the US was not involved" and "was not aware of this incident regarding the expected explosion of hundreds of walkie-talkies in Lebanon."
Jean-Pierre's phrasing was precise, noting that the US received no advanced warning about the exploding walkie-talkies. The warning from Israel was vague and nonspecific, leaving US officials puzzled about the nature of the operation, as per sources.
Since Hamas launched its October 7 attack, Israel has frequently carried out strikes in Lebanon in response to Hezbollah's drone and missile launches. Israel has also targeted senior Hamas officials in Lebanon. The scope of Israeli operations in Lebanon over the past 11 months raised concerns about what Israel might be planning.
CNN's Jennifer Hansler contributed reporting.
The ongoing political tensions in the Middle East were further exacerbated by these recent events. Given the US's commitment to maintaining peace in the region, officials are closely monitoring the situation to prevent any escalation.
