“Out of an abundance of caution, U.S. government employees and their family members are restricted from personal travel outside the greater Tel Aviv, … Jerusalem, and Be’er Sheva areas until further notice,” reads the U.S. Embassy security alert, issued Thursday.
The attack killed two senior members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and five other officers, Iran said.
While Israel has not publicly claimed responsibility, U.S. officials told The Washington Post that Pentagon officials were frustrated that Israel did not notify the United States before the April 1 strike, which they assess increases risks to U.S. forces in the Middle East.
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said Israel would be “punished” and “regret this crime.” With Israel’s military on high alert last week, Israel has vowed to strike back at Iran “if Iran attacks from its territory.”
The head of U.S. Central Command, Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla, visited Israel on Thursday, a Pentagon spokesperson said, as the allies coordinate on preparing for Iran’s promised counterstrike. President Biden has repeated that the U.S. commitment to Israel against threats from Iran and its allies is “ironclad.”
