Free Republic

U.S. officials have been told Israel is fully ready to launch an operation into Iran, multiple sources told CBS News. The U.S. anticipates Iran could retaliate on certain American sites in neighboring Iraq. This is part of the reason the U.S. advised some Americans to leave the region earlier Wednesday, with the State Department ordering non-emergency government officials to exit Iraq due to "heightened regional tensions."

European governments backed the International Criminal Court in The Hague following its decision on Thursday to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and slain Hamas terror leader Mohammed Deif. Josep Borrell, the European Union’s outgoing foreign-policy chief, claimed that the ruling was “not political” and should be respected.