Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant told U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Sunday that Iran was making preparations for a large-scale military attack on Israel, Axios reporter Barak Ravid said in a post on X, citing a source with knowledge of the call.
In a statement on Monday, Gallant's ministry confirmed the call took place overnight. It said Gallant and Austin discussed operational and strategic coordination and the Israeli military's readiness in the face of Iranian threats.
On Friday, an Iranian Revolutionary Guards deputy commander was quoted as saying by local news agencies that Iran was set to carry out an order by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to "harshly punish" Israel over the assassination on July 31 of the leader of Palestinian militant group Hamas in Tehran.
