Contrary to earlier reports, several sources told Axios that Israel expects Iran to attack within the next few days, possibly before the ceasefire and hostage release negotiations on Thursday.
Although there were previous reports that Iran was walking back its threats against Israel amid international pressure and that it would let Hezbollah respond instead, Israeli intel indicates Iran may be going ahead.
The back-and-forth is the result of conflicts within Iran as it scrambles to discover the cause of the security breach that led to the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh late last month.
President Masoud Pezeshkian prefers to avoid a harsh response which may lead to escalation, and the terror group IRGC prefers pushing forward with an attack that will be more severe than the launching of 300 drones into Israel in mid-April.
The US says it is ready to defend Israel if Iran attacks and has sent fighter jets and anti-missile submarines to the region.
