Washington, Aug 5 (UNI) US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told G7 foreign ministers that Iran and Lebanese movement Hezbollah could launch an attack on Israel as early as Monday, the Axios portal reported, citing sources.

As sources told the portal, Blinken said Washington believes Iran and Hezbollah would retaliate, but "it's unclear what form the retaliation will take." At the same time, according to the sources, Blinken said the United States did not know the exact time of a possible attack but stressed that it could begin within the next 24-48 hours.

Blinken also told G7 foreign ministers that the buildup of US troops in the region was "for defensive purposes only," according to the sources.

Earlier, the Pentagon reported that amid growing tensions in the Middle East, the United States was making adjustments to its force posture, sending a new carrier strike group to the region and deploying additional missile defence systems there.

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