US President Joe Biden will meet with his national security team in the White House Situation Room ahead of the expected Iranian attack against Israel.
Iran has vowed to retaliate against Israel for the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last week, an assassination for which Israel has not claimed reponsiblity, and for the assassination of Hezbollah leader Fuad Shukr, an assassination Israel did calim responsiblity for.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told his counterparts from the G7 countries on Sunday that an attack by Iran and Hezbollah against Israel could start as early as Monday, three sources briefed on the call told Barak Ravid of Axios.
Blinken convened the conference call to coordinate with close US allies and try to generate last-minute diplomatic pressure on Iran and Hezbollah to minimize their retaliation as much as possible. He stressed that limiting the impact of their strikes is the best chance to prevent all-out war, according to the Axios report.
Earlier, Israel Hayom reported that the US is sending Israel the weapons shipment which it previously delayed.
The shipment includes MK-83 bombs, weighing half a ton each, but it is not clear whether the US will send MK-84 bombs, which Israel used, until the US embargo, for many attacks in the Middle East.
The second half of the shipment includes 1,800 MK-84 bombs weighing on ton each, and is still held by Washington.
Israel now believes that the US will remove the limitations on the shipment of heavy weapons, if Israel promises not to use them in specific areas of Gaza.
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani on Monday claimed that his government is not looking to spark a regional war, but needs to "punish" Israel.
According to Kanaani, "Iran seeks to establish stability in the region, but this will only come with punishing the aggressor and creating deterrence against the adventurism of the Zionist regime."