US claims that Iranian missile forces across the country are on a "heightened state of alert"

US Official Claims Iran 

Missile Forces Across 

Country Are On Heightened 

State of Alert - Report

Sputnik,

5 January, 2020

On Friday, a US drone attack killed Qasem Soleimani, the head of Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) elite Quds Force in Baghdad, prompting Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to state that Tehran will take revenge for what it views to be a terrorist action by Washington.

An unnamed US official claimed that Iranian missile forces across the country were on a "heightened state of alert", noting that the US military have been closely watching for further moves by Tehran, Reuters reported.

According to the report, the official said that "it was unclear whether the higher readiness level was defensive in nature or not".

"They're clearly at a heightened state of alert. Is that heightened state of alert to be better prepared defensively or to be better prepared offensively? That can't be determined at this point," the official said, cited by Reuters.

The report comes on the heels of a rocket attack that targeted the Green Zone in central Baghdad, where government buildings and diplomatic facilities are located.

According to an Iraqi military statement, six katyusha-type projectiles late on Sunday hit the area, with three shells hitting the heavily-fortified Green Zone and three others striking the nearby Jadriya area.

Tensions in the Middle East sharply escalated following the assassination of Soleimani, the IRGC commander of the Quds Force, as well as Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy commander of an Iraqi Shia militia group, in a targeted US attack on Friday.

US President Donald Trump claimed the recent strikes were a preemptive, defensive move to prevent war, although later boasted that Washington had identified 52 Iranian military and cultural targets at which US forces were ready to strike. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani stated that Tehran will take revenge for what it views to be a terrorist action by the US.

U.S. SATELLITES AND SPY PLANES SEE **FUELED** MISSILES ON IRAN COAST - LAUNCH IMMINENT

Hal Turner,

5 January, 2020

US Spy satellites picked up what APPEARED to be fueling of rockets inside Iran.   Spy planes sent for a closer look have confirmed missiles are fueled on the coastal regions of Iran.

Indications suggest a launch is imminent.

UPDATE 3:58 PM EST --

Reports now coming in say that ALL Iranian missile systems have been placed on full ALERT MODE

Iranian backed militia sniper units apparently taking positions all over Baghdad.

UPDATE 4:02 PM EST --

Syrian officials say preparations have been made for rocket fire by Iranian militias in Damascus region.  Not sure if missiles will go from Damascus into Iraq or into Israel.  Maybe both.

UPDATE 4:39 PM EST --

President Trump is aboard Air Force One, returning to the White House from Florida . . .

UPDATE 5:15 PM EST --

The IRGC has closed the Qaim border crossing between Syria and Iraq until further notice. Crossing is now only reserved for missile/UAV shipments between Iran and Syria/Lebanon.

Sources in the north of Israel report heavy and unusual military activity.

UPDATE 6:18 PM EST --

Expect clashes in the next 48-72 hours. Several high ranking political and religious figures OF MANY COUNTRIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST (the type to get notified first) have traveled to remote areas with their families. Intel suggests no full scale anything until after Soleimani's remains are buried.

 UPDATE 7:34 PM EST -- 

Go for it!

Iran Commander Says They 

Will "Level Tel Aviv and 

Haifa"

Hal Turner,

5 January, 2020

A top Iranian official and former top commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps issued a late midnight warning to President Donald Trump, promising that Tehran will bring Tel Aviv and Haifa to ashes if US dares to reciprocate Iran's reprisal attack in vengeance for the assassination of IRGC's anti-terrorism Commander General Qassem Soleimani.

"If the US takes any action after our military response, we will level Tel Aviv and Haifa to the ground," Secretary of Iran's Expediency Council Mohsen Rezayee said minutes into Monday.

Few hours earlier, Iran's missile batteries were sighted on the move to the country's Western borders, starting speculations that Tehran's military action to revenge the US terror attack on IRGC Qods Force Commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani might be in the offing.

Mohsen Rezayee had warned earlier in the week that Israel is likely to have had a role in collecting intel on the flight of the martyred General from Syria to Iraq.

Rezayee's meaningful remarks came after US President Donald Trump on Saturday warned Iran that if it retaliates for the assassination of IRGC Qods Force Commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, it will face US attacks on 52 targets, a number he said was symbolic.

"Let this serve as a WARNING that if Iran strikes any Americans, or American assets, we have.........targeted 52 Iranian sites (representing the 52 American hostages taken by Iran many years ago), some at a very high level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture, and those targets, and Iran itself, WILL BE HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD," he said. "The USA wants no more threats!"

In response, Iranian Army Commander Major General Seyed Abdolrahim Mousavi said that Trump does not have the courage to attack Iran.

“The US will not dare to take any actions against our country,” the Iranian Army commander said.

Turning to the unprecedented and unparalleled measures taken by Lieutenant General Soleimani in the Resistance Front, he said, “Martyr General Soleimani took giant steps in the fight against terrorism in all regional countries, specially Lebanon, Syria, Iraq.”

Lieutenant General Soleimani was martyred in a targeted assassination attack by the US drones at Baghdad International Airport early on Friday morning.

General Qassem Soleimani has been martyred by the US aircraft after lifetime efforts, the IRGC said in a statement early Friday morning.

The airstrike also martyred Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy commander of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), or Hashad al-Shaabi. The PMF media arm said the two were martyred in an American airstrike that targeted their vehicle on the road to the airport.

Five Iranian and five Iraqi militaries were martyred by missiles fired by the US drone at Baghdad International Airport.

The Pentagon confirmed the attack in a statement.

The attack came amid tensions that started by the US attack on PMF units that killed 28 Iraqi popular forces. A day later, Iraqi people attacked the US embassy in Baghdad. On Wednesday President Donald Trump ordered about 750 US soldiers deployed to the Middle East.

US officials earlier suggested they were to engage in further retaliatory attacks in Iraq.

The developments also represent a major downturn in Iraq-US relations that could further undermine US influence in the region and American troops in Iraq and weaken Washington’s hand in its pressure campaign against Iran.

US President Donald Trump was vacationing on his estate in Palm Beach, Florida, but sent out a tweet of an American flag.

The attack represents a dramatic escalation by the US toward Iran after months of tensions. The tensions take root in Trump’s decision in May 2018 to withdraw the US from Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers, struck under his predecessor.