The countdown has begun for his retaliation Israel at Iranwith the advanced THAAD missile defense system, one of the US military’s most powerful anti-missile weapons, already on standby to be operational as early as tonight, according to reports.

US officials who spoke to CNN expect Israel to respond to the Iranian attack this month before the Nov. 5 presidential election. Earlier, another US source told the US network that the Israeli response plan to Iran is ready.

It is recalled that the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu he reportedly committed in the phone call he had last week with the American president Joe Bidenduring which the two leaders discussed Israel’s plans to retaliate against Iran’s Oct. 1 missile attack that hit only military targets in Iran. However, it is not clear whether the targets include assassinations, such as of Iranian officials.

The timing and parameters of Israel’s retaliation against Iran have been the subject of intense debate within the Israeli government, and are not directly related to the timing of the US election, the US sources insisted. But Netanyahu – described by senior US administration officials as “deeply attuned” to US policy – appears highly sensitive to any potential political consequences of Israel’s actions in the US, they said.

The escalating conflict in the Middle East has emerged as a persistent issue in the US election. President Biden and by extension Vice President Kamala Harris have faced pressure over their handling of the crisis. Meanwhile, Republicans – including former President Donald Trump – accused the US government of failing to respond effectively to the crisis and “plunging the world into chaos”.

As the elections approach, the US administration has begun to put new pressure on Israel to improve humanitarian conditions in Gaza. In a scathing letter released this week, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned Israel that failure to deliver more aid to the enclave could trigger a halt in US military aid. However, CNN comments, the letter was not signed by the president or vice president, while neither of them publicly threatened to cut off aid to Israel, despite pressure from the left.

The deadline to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza expires after the elections. And the US warning came the same week that US military personnel and components of the THAAD air defense system arrived in Israel.

Which countries supply weapons to Israel?

The latest warning, which says Israel has 30 days to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza or risk violating US laws governing foreign military aid, is a significant increase in pressure on Israel, suggesting that the military US aid could be cut off.

Here is a recording of it CNN about which countries supply Israel with weapons:

USA:

The United States is the largest arms supplier to Israel. In 2023, 69% of Israel’s arms imports came from the US, according to a report on international arms transfers by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Germany was the second largest, providing 30%. Italy follows with 0.9%, while the United Kingdom, France have smaller deliveries.

US-imported weapons “have played an important role in Israel’s military actions against Hamas and Hezbollah,” the think tank said, noting that by the end of 2023, thousands of guided bombs and missiles had been delivered by the US to Israel. F-35 and F-15 fighter jets were also delivered to Israel by the US in January 2024.

CNN’s analysis has identified numerous instances where American-made munitions were used throughout the war, including attacks in which civilians were killed. CNNi recently found that 2,000-pound American-made bombs were likely used in the Israeli attack that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut.

The US also provides Israel with financial aid, more than $130 billion in bilateral funding since 1948, according to the US State Department. In 2019, the two countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding that ensured the US would annually provide Israel with $3.3 billion from the Foreign Military Financing program and another $500 million for missile defense.

Germany:

While in 2023, Germany contributed 30% of Israel’s arsenal, this supply has been significantly reduced during 2024.

Earlier this year, the International Court of Justice rejected a request by Nicaragua to order Germany to stop providing military aid to Israel. One of their main reasons was that German military aid to the country had fallen from around 200 million euros in October 2023 to 1 million euros ($1.1 million) by the time the ruling was issued in March.

But on October 10, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the country had not stopped supplying weapons to Israel, noting that Germany “(has) supplied weapons and will continue to supply them.” He added that weapons would be delivered to Israel “in the near future.”

Israel’s security has historically been a priority of German foreign policy due to the Nazi Holocaust against the Jews during World War II.

Italy:

Italy supplied helicopters and weapons to Israel, according to SIPRI, and is a partner in the F-35 fighter jet program, manufacturing parts.

However, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told local media in late January that Italy had stopped arms shipments to Israel since October 7 last year. Any agreements signed before then were still upheld, SIPRI said.

The Italian organization Pagella Politica said Italian companies had sold almost $129 million worth of arms to Israel in the decade to 2022.

United Kingdom:

The British government reported that “exports of military equipment to Israel are low.” It added that it granted exports worth $23.42 million in 2023. However, the UK suspended some export licenses to Israel for military equipment last year.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy suspended around 30 of the 350 licenses in Israel when the Labor government took office in July, with the official assessment finding there was a clear risk the weapons could be used “to commit or facilitating a serious violation of international humanitarian law…”

The restrictions also affected the supply of some parts for drones and F-35 fighter jets. However, the UK government has not suspended the provision of material – not used in the Israel-Hamas conflict – for, for example, educational purposes.

Spain:

In February, the Spanish Foreign Ministry issued a press release noting that the government had not made any arms sales to Israel since October 7 of last year.

On October 11, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez condemned as “unacceptable” the Israeli attack on Lebanon and urged the international community to stop arms exports to Israel.

“We emphasize the urgent need for the Israeli government to stop hostilities that violate international law by invading a third country, in this case Lebanon,” he said.

France:

While France has historically provided arms to Israel, in recent weeks there has been friction in relations between the two countries as French President Emmanuel Macron called for an end to arms exports to Israel in order to press for a ceasefire in Lebanon and Gaza.

Earlier this month, on October 5, Macron called for a complete suspension of the sale of weapons “used in the war in Gaza” and stressed that France had not been involved in their supply. According to SIPRI, the data available to it do not show French exports of major weapons to Israel from 2019-23, but it notes that France supplied weapons components.