The US Washington Post, citing US sources, reported that the US Department of Defence (Pentagon) was disappointed by Israel’s failure to warn of an attack on Iran.
The news report stated that US officials and senior Pentagon officials were disturbed by Israel’s failure to provide information before the attack and that the attack led to increased risks to American forces in the Middle East.
US and Israeli officials are closely coordinating how to respond to an Iranian counterattack, the report said, adding that according to US officials, Austin and other senior ministry officials believe that Israel should have informed them in advance because of the consequences of the attack for US troops and interests in the region.
A US official quoted in the news report said that Austin conveyed his direct complaints to his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant in a telephone conversation on 3 April.
The US-based Wall Street Journal newspaper claimed that Israel was preparing for a direct attack from Iran within two days, but Iran had not yet made a final decision on the attack.
On 1 April, 7 members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, including 2 generals, were killed in an airstrike on the consulate building in the Iranian embassy compound in Damascus.
Iran had announced that Israel had organised the attack and that it would retaliate and held the United States responsible for the attack.
