Iran preparing missile attack on Israel, White House says

Iran is preparing to fire ballistic missiles at Israel, according to a senior White House official, who said the attack could be launched "imminently."

"We are actively supporting defensive preparations to defend Israel against this attack," the official said in a statement. "A direct military attack from Iran against Israel will carry severe consequences for Iran.”

The news comes just hours after Israel announced it had begun raids into southern Lebanon to take out military capabilities of the Iranian-backed militia group Hezbollah.

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