The United States and Israel are bracing for a potential Iranian attack on Israeli or American assets in the West Asia region following Israel’s strike on the Iranian embassy in Syria. The attack, which resulted in the elimination of a top Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander, Mohammad Reza Zahedi, has heightened tensions in the region.

US officials, have indicated that the threat of an attack from Iran is imminent, with preparations underway for a potential strike as early as next week. “We’re definitely at a high state of vigilance,” one official stated.

In response to the strike, Israel has placed its military on high alert, cancelling leave for combat units and blocking GPS services. Additionally, some reservists have been recalled to air defense units, according to reports from the New York Times.

Iran has reacted strongly to the attack, placing all its armed forces on full high alert. General Hossein Salami, commander in chief of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, vowed retaliation against the “Zionist regime,” asserting that Iran will not allow any act against its sovereignty to go unanswered.

Furthermore, Iran has stated that it reserves the right to take decisive action in response to the strike, which claimed the lives of seven Iranian military advisers, including Zahedi.

US President Joe Biden discussed the escalating tensions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a phone call on Thursday. A senior Biden administration official reiterated US support for Israel’s defense against threats from Iran.

The situation underscores the ongoing volatility in the region and the potential for further escalation, particularly given Iran’s history of retaliating against US military actions, such as the 2020 missile attack on US bases in Iraq following the killing of General Qassem Soleimani.