Last week, Israel carried out an airstrike on the consular annex of the Iranian Embassy in Damascus, destroying the building. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said seven of its members had been killed in the attack, including two commanders. Iran is expected to conduct retaliatory strikes against Israel in the coming hours or days.
The Iranian message was that if the United States gets involved after the anticipated Iranian attack on Israel, US bases in the region will be attacked, the report said.
However, a US official told Axios that it's unclear if Iran is threatening to attack US forces in the region if they help Israel intercept Iranian missiles or only if they participate in an Israeli counteroffensive.
The US intelligence community believes Iran could attack US forces only if the United States joins Israel in a counteroffensive, the report said, citing a US official.
Two US officials, the report added, said Iran aims to conduct a limited response that will not lead to a regional escalation.
The United States is communicating directly with Iran through the formal Swiss channel of communication, but Iran relayed its threats through several Arab countries, the report said.