Israeli Govt Instructs Military to Prepare for US Strikes against Iran

Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz attends a cabinet meeting. Photo: Abir Sultan/POOL/AFP via Getty
Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz attends a cabinet meeting. Photo: Abir Sultan/POOL/AFP via Getty
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Israeli Govt Instructs Military to Prepare for US Strikes against Iran

Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz attends a cabinet meeting. Photo: Abir Sultan/POOL/AFP via Getty
Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz attends a cabinet meeting. Photo: Abir Sultan/POOL/AFP via Getty

Israel’s government instructed the military to prepare for a possible US strike against Iran during the remainder of President Donald Trump’s term, according to military sources.

The instructions were given because officials anticipate “a very sensitive period” prior to the Jan. 20 inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, and not because of any intelligence or assessment that the US will order an attack.

Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz has spoken twice over the past two weeks with US Defense Secretary Christopher Miller to discuss the Iranian issue, the situation in Syria and the security memorandum of understanding between Israel and the US.

If the Trump administration acts against Iran, Israel is expected to receive advance warning of the action. However, due to the great uncertainty, the army has been instructed to ensure that Israel’s defense systems are ready for any scenario that may arise from a US attack on Iran, the sources added.

In case of a US attack against Iran, the latter might strike Israeli targets through its militias or “Hezbollah” forces in Syria, or even from Hezbollah's locations in the Lebanese south.

Citing four current and former US officials, The New York Times reported that a meeting occurred in the Oval Office two weeks ago. Trump asked senior aides what possibilities he had for an offensive strike on Iran's primary nuclear site in Natanz.

Senior advisers including Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and Vice President Mike Pence dissuaded Trump, but he might still be looking at ways to strike Iranian assets and allies.

Pompeo recently visited Europe and the Middle East – State Department officials, meanwhile, told reporters that “all options are on the table,” regarding Iran.



Russia's Economy Minister Says the Country is on 'the Brink of Recession'

People gesture as they shop in a supermarket in Moscow, Russia June 26, 2024. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo
People gesture as they shop in a supermarket in Moscow, Russia June 26, 2024. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo
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Russia's Economy Minister Says the Country is on 'the Brink of Recession'

People gesture as they shop in a supermarket in Moscow, Russia June 26, 2024. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo
People gesture as they shop in a supermarket in Moscow, Russia June 26, 2024. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo

Russia's economy is “on the brink of going into a recession,” the country's economy minister said Thursday, according to Russian media reports.

Economy Minister Maxim Reshetnikov delivered the warning at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, the annual event in Russia's second largest city designed to highlight the country's economic prowess and court foreign investors, The AP reported.

Russian business news outlet RBC quoted the official as saying “the numbers indicate cooling, but all our numbers are (like) a rearview mirror. Judging by the way businesses currently feel and the indicators, we are already, it seems to me, on the brink of going into a recession.”

The economy, hit with a slew of sanctions after the Kremlin sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022, has so far outperformed predictions. High defense spending has propelled growth and kept unemployment low despite fueling inflation. At the same time, wages have gone up to keep pace with inflation, leaving many workers better off.

Large recruiting bonuses for military enlistees and death benefits for those killed in Ukraine also have put more income into the country’s poorer regions. But over the long term, inflation and a lack of foreign investments remain threats to the economy, leaving a question mark over how long the militarized economy can keep going.

Economists have warned of mounting pressure on the economy and the likelihood it would stagnate due to lack of investment in sectors other than the military.

Speaking at a forum session, Reshetnikov said Russia was “on the brink,” and whether the country would slide into a recession or not depends on the government's actions.

“Going forward, it all depends on our decisions," Reshetnikov said, according to RBC.

RBC reported Russia's Finance Minister Anton Siluanov and Central Bank Gov. Elvira Nabiullina gave more optimistic assessments.

Siluanov spoke about the economy “cooling” but noted that after any cooling “the summer always comes," RBC reported.

Nabiullina said Russia's economy was merely “coming out of overheating," according to RBC.