Egypt Daily News – An Israeli official and two informed sources have stated that Israel has not ruled out launching an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities in the coming months, despite U.S. President Donald Trump informing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the United States is not currently prepared to support such a move.
Israeli officials are committed to preventing Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons, and Netanyahu insists that any negotiations with Iran must lead to the complete dismantling of its nuclear program.
A second round of preliminary nuclear talks between the United States and Iran is scheduled to take place in Rome on Saturday.
Over the past months, Israel has presented the Trump administration with a series of options for attacking Iran’s facilities, some of which are planned for late spring and summer, according to the sources.
The sources indicate that the plans involve a mix of airstrikes and special operations with varying intensities, likely aimed at disrupting Tehran’s ability to use its nuclear program for military purposes for months, a year, or even longer.
The New York Times reported on Wednesday that Trump told Netanyahu in a White House meeting earlier this month that Washington wants to prioritize diplomatic talks with Tehran and is not prepared to support a strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities in the short term.
However, Israeli officials now believe the military may carry out a limited strike on Iran that would require less American support. This attack would be much smaller than the initial proposal made by Israel.
It is unclear whether Israel will go ahead with such a strike, or when it will be executed, especially with negotiations on the nuclear deal underway. This move is likely to anger Trump and could affect broader American support for Israel.
Two senior former officials in the Biden administration told Reuters that parts of the plans had previously been presented to the previous U.S. administration last year. Nearly all of them required significant U.S. support, either through direct military intervention or intelligence-sharing. Israel also asked Washington for assistance in defending itself if Iran retaliated.
In response to a request for comment, the U.S. National Security Council referred Reuters to Trump’s remarks on Thursday, where he told reporters he had not discouraged Israel from launching an attack but is “not in a rush” to support military action against Tehran.
Trump said, “I think Iran has a chance to be a great country and live happily without death… that’s my first choice. If there’s a second option, I think it would be very bad for Iran, and I think Iran wants dialogue.”
Netanyahu’s office has not yet responded to a request for comment. A senior Israeli official told Reuters that no decision has been made yet on whether to strike Iran.
An Iranian senior security official stated that Tehran is aware of Israeli plans and will “respond with force and determination” to any attack.
The official told Reuters, “We have intelligence from reliable sources that Israel is planning a large attack on Iran’s nuclear sites. This stems from dissatisfaction with the ongoing diplomatic efforts regarding Iran’s nuclear program and also from Netanyahu’s need for such a step as a means to preserve his political future.”
