Several Arab sources reported Tuesday that if the conflict between Iran and Israel escalates, Pakistan plans to supply Iran with Shaheen-III medium-range ballistic missiles.
An emergency meeting of the foreign ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), requested by Iran and Pakistan, took place yesterday in Saudi Arabia, with Iran examining its response to the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.
The meeting in the coastal city of Jeddah included discussions on "the crimes of the Israeli occupation" and "the assassination of Haniyeh," said the Saudi OIC representative. The Iranian Foreign Ministry in Tehran said that Iran requested the meeting alongside Pakistan.
The OIC, representing 57 Islamic countries, sees itself as the voice of the Muslim world. Unlike the smaller Arab League, it also includes influential non-Arab countries, including Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey.
American officials said that since the weekend, they have observed Iran moving missile launchers and conducting military exercises as part of Tehran's preparations for an attack aimed at Israel in the coming days, according to a report published Tuesday in The Wall Street Journal.
Furthermore, according to the report, US officials still don't know what the attack might look like or the exact timeframe. An Iranian source is also quoted saying that the attack might occur "immediately," meaning within the next 48 hours.
Russia supporting Iran
Meanwhile, The New York Times reported that two Iranian sources, one of them a member of the Revolutionary Guards, indicated that Moscow has begun supplying Iran with advanced radar and air defense equipment.
Blinken added that Washington is "engaging in intense diplomacy, almost around the clock," to help de-escalate tensions and the escalation in the Middle East amid concerns that Iran is preparing a retaliatory attack against Israel.