The military is immediately raising its alert level to the highest level.
US dispatches Blinken… nuclear aircraft carrier also deployed
Iran: “We will not give in to pressure and sanctions”
Domestic import prices rise for two consecutive months
Israel, Gaza RefugeesCamp Raid
On the 12th (local time), residents of the Nuseirat refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, Palestine, look at the remains of a building destroyed by an Israeli airstrike. The crisis between Iran and Israel is escalating after Israel killed Ismail Haniya, the top leader of the political bureau of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, in Iran on the 31st of last month. Nuseirat = Xinhua Newsis
“Iran and its proxies could attack Israel within 24 hours.”
On the 12th (local time), American Fox News cited a Middle Eastern source and mentioned the possibility of Iran attacking Israel. The New York Times (NYT), the British Financial Times (FT), and Reuters reported that Iran could attack Israel within this week.
The Israeli military immediately raised its alert level to the highest level. The United States decided to dispatch Secretary of State Tony Blinken to the Middle East and deploy the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln (Lincoln), equipped with the latest stealth fighter, the F-35C, to the Middle East.
As reports emerged that a conflict between Iran and Israel was imminent, the price of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil for September delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange closed at $80.06. It had been $72.94 on the 5th, but rose 9.76% in just one week. Domestic import prices also rose for two consecutive months in June and July due to the rise in international oil prices.
● Israel on highest alert for Iranian attack
According to Fox News, Iran, Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah, and Yemeni Shiite rebel group Houthi are considering attacking Israel within the next 24 hours (between the 12th and 13th). This is retaliation for the killing of Ismail Haniya, the political director of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, in an Israeli attack in Tehran on March 31st. John Kirby, the U.S. White House National Security Adviser, said on the 12th, “Israel is predicting an attack (by Iran) within a few days. We share this concern.”
According to the Times of Israel and others, Israeli Army Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi approved a “multi-front battle plan” on the same day in preparation for attacks from Iran, Hezbollah, and others. Israeli Army spokesman Daniel Hagari also said, “We are on the highest alert for both offense and defense, including increasing fighter jet patrols over Lebanon, Hezbollah’s stronghold.” On that day, the Israeli military also conducted an airstrike in the Wadiyeh area of southern Lebanon and destroyed Hezbollah’s rocket launchers.
The United States plans to dispatch aircraft carriers and submarines to the Middle East to prepare for Iranian attacks and escalation. U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin ordered the deployment of the nuclear-powered submarine USS Georgia to the Middle East on the 11th, and also ordered the deployment of the Lincoln to be expedited. The Lincoln, currently near the South China Sea, will take at least a week to reach the Middle East, Reuters reported.
The American political media outlet Axios reported that Secretary Blinken will visit three countries, Israel, Qatar, and Egypt, starting on the 13th. Qatar and Egypt have been mediating ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas.
The international community has also become busy. On the 12th, the five Western countries of the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy issued a joint statement saying, “Stop threatening attacks on Israel.” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the number two man in the Vatican, each called Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to dissuade him from attacking Israel.
President Pesheshkian told Chancellor Scholz, “We have the right to respond to the aggressor (Israel). We will not succumb to pressure, sanctions, or bullying.” This is interpreted to mean that retaliation against Israel is inevitable in some way. However, there are also predictions that Iran’s concerns about retaliation are deepening. On the 13th, Reuters reported, citing a high-ranking Iranian source, that “if the ceasefire negotiations in the Gaza Strip fail or if it is determined that Israel is delaying the negotiations, we will launch a direct attack.” It did not specify how long Iran would allow the negotiations to progress.
● Soaring oil prices, rising price instability
As the Middle East is looming, international oil prices are also soaring. On the 12th, at the New York Mercantile Exchange, WTI for September delivery rose $3.22 (4.2%) from the previous trading day to $80.06 per barrel. On the same day, Brent crude for October delivery on the European ICE Futures Exchange also closed at $82.30, up $2.64 (3.3%) from the previous trading day.
According to the Bank of Korea on the 13th, the July import price index, which is sensitive to oil price fluctuations, rose 0.4% from the previous month. It is the second consecutive month of increase following June (0.6%). The import price index has been rising this year except for May (-1.3%). Since import prices usually affect consumer prices with a certain time lag, it can act as an upward pressure on domestic prices.
Reporter Lee Ki-wook [email protected]
Reporter Shin A-hyung [email protected]
2024-08-14 17:14:51