All scenarios

US preparing for all scenarios in volcanic Middle East, Jon Finer says

“We are in a moment that appears to be of heightened threat,” the deputy national security adviser said.

By David Cohen

The White House’s deputy national security adviser said Sunday the United States is preparing for “every possibility” as it tries to react to possible attacks on Israel and avoid a regional war in the tumultuous Middle East.

“The overall goal is to turn the temperature down in the region, deter and defend against those attacks, and avoid regional conflict, which has been our goal really since October 7,” Jon Finer said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”

He told CBS’ Ed O’Keefe: “We are in a moment that appears to be of heightened threat.”

As has been true since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7 and Israel responded by invading Gaza, the Middle East remains the world’s most volatile region. That Israel-Hamas war continues, with all efforts to produce a lasting cease-fire by the Biden administration and others coming up short.

Ratcheting tensions up last week were new strikes along Israel’s border with Lebanon, as well as the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran, which has been widely attributed to Israel, and the assassination of top Hezbollah commander Fouad Shukur in Lebanon, which Israel has claimed responsibility for.

On Friday, the Pentagon revealed it was shifting an aircraft carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln, along with its destroyer escorts, from the Pacific to the Middle East. The United States also was transferring ballistic air defense units, similar to its moves in April when it expected (correctly) that Iran would launch missiles and drones at Israel.

Speaking Sunday on ABC’s “This Week,” Finer said the United States was moving forward in multiple directions as it maps out what Iran might do in response to the provocative Haniyeh assassination in Tehran.

“I won’t lay out what I expect Iran to do because I don’t think we want to show our hand in that way. But I will tell you, we are preparing for every possibility,” Finer said on “This Week.”

He also told host George Stephanopoulos: “Part of what makes back-channel messages and conversations effective is that they need to stay private. And so I won’t speak to the details of the diplomatic activity that is underway, other than to say, in close coordination and conjunction with our Israeli allies and other partners now in the region, we are doing everything possible to make sure that this situation does not boil over.”

Haniyeh was in Iran for the inauguration of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian when he was killed Wednesday in a guesthouse. There have been widespread reports that Haniyeh was killed by a hidden bomb, but Iran said Saturday that it was a “short-range projectile” that killed him.

Finer also addressed concerns about heightened tensions and increased fighting between Israel and the Hezbollah forces located in Lebanon in recent weeks, including the killing of 12 children on a soccer field by a Hezbollah rocket strike.

Complicating matters is that Hezbollah is closely allied with Iran.

“What we’re trying to do is prepare for any eventuality, any possibility,” Finer said on “Face the Nation.” “That’s only responsible for the United States. Obviously, we’ve been quite clear that we will work with our ally Israel to defend itself against any threats that it faces.”