U.S. has obtained new intelligence suggesting that Israel is making preparations to strike Iranian nuclear facilities
U.S. has obtained new intelligence suggesting that Israel is making preparations to strike Iranian nuclear facilities
New intelligence obtained by the United States suggests that Israel is preparing to strike Iranian nuclear facilities, CNN reported on Tuesday, citing multiple U.S. officials familiar with the matter.
It was not clear whether Israeli leaders have made a final decision, CNN added, citing the officials.
Officials caution it’s not clear that Israeli leaders have made a final decision, and that in fact, there is deep disagreement within the US government about the likelihood that Israel will ultimately act.
Whether and how Israel strikes will likely depend on what it thinks of the US negotiations with Tehran over its nuclear program.
The heightened worries stem not only from public and private messaging from senior Israeli officials that it is considering such a move, but also from intercepted Israeli communications and observations of Israeli military movements that could suggest an imminent strike, multiple sources familiar with the intelligence said.
Among the military preparations the US has observed are the movement of air munitions and the completion of an air exercise, two of the sources said.
But those same indicators could also simply be Israel trying to pressure Iran to abandon key tenets of its nuclear program by signaling the consequences if it doesn’t — underscoring the ever-shifting complexities the White House is navigating.
CNN has asked the National Security Council and the Israeli prime minister’s office for comment. The Israeli Embassy in Washington did not comment.
Trump has publicly threatened military action against Iran if his administration’s efforts to negotiate a new nuclear deal to limit or eliminate Tehran’s nuclear program fail.
But Trump also set a limit on how long the US would engage in diplomatic efforts.
In a letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in mid-March, Trump set a 60-day deadline for those efforts to succeed, according to a source familiar with the communication.
It has now been more than 60 days since that letter was delivered, and 38 days since the first round ofv talks began.
