The White House announced on Tuesday that the United States believed Iran was poised to launch a ballistic missile attack against Israel imminently.

A senior White House official said: “The United States has indications that Iran is preparing to imminently launch a ballistic missile attack against Israel.

“We are actively supporting defensive preparations to defend Israel against this attack. A direct military attack from Iran against Israel will carry severe consequences for Iran.”

The US is ready to take all necessary measures to assist Israel in intercepting any threats from Iran, similar to the support provided in April when Iran launched a series of drones and missiles toward Israel, most of which were successfully intercepted, according to a US official.

The extent of the expected Iranian attack this time remains unclear.

“As of this moment, Israel does not perceive imminent threat from Iran,” Israel Defence Forces spokesperson Daniel Hagari said Tuesday.

The US expects that the upcoming Iranian attack on Israel could match the scale and intensity of the one in April, a US official told CNN. That earlier assault saw Iran launch a barrage of drones and missiles in response to a suspected Israeli strike on an Iranian diplomatic facility in Syria.

In that attack, more than 300 projectiles were aimed at Israel, including around 170 drones and over 120 ballistic missiles. The Israeli military reported that “99 per cent” of these threats were intercepted by Israel’s air defence systems and its allies.

Tensions between Israel and Iran have significantly increased in recent weeks, especially as Israel has ramped up its operations against Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group in Lebanon.

On Monday, Israel initiated a ground operation in southern Lebanon specifically targeting Hezbollah.