As the Trump administration works to negotiate a nuclear agreement with Tehran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly threatening to derail the talks by launching a strike on Iran’s main uranium enrichment sites, The New York Times reported Wednesday morning, citing US officials briefed on the matter. The US is concerned that Israel will attack Iran without warning, with U.S. intelligence estimating that such an attack could take place within just seven hours of Netanyahu giving the order.
The sharp disagreement over how best to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon has already led to tense conversations between Trump and Netanyahu, as well as a series of meetings in recent days between senior American and Israeli officials.
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On Sunday, Trump said "something good" might happen as part of his efforts to curb Iran’s nuclear program in the “next couple of days,” but officials familiar with the talks said any announcement is likely to focus on general principles. The details currently being discussed are likely to only pave the way for further negotiations, starting with whether Iran will be able to enrich uranium itself, even at low levels, and how it will dilute the amount it has or send it out of the country.
According to two sources briefed on the exchange, Israeli officials signaled to the Trump administration shortly before his trip to the Middle East earlier this month that Israel was planning to attack Iran's nuclear sites. U.S. intelligence also identified Israeli preparations for an attack.
Meanwhile, negotiations with the Iranians are still ongoing, as are talks between senior administration officials and Israeli officials, and the Americans fear that Israel could decide to attack Iran, with only short notice. Given the American intelligence assessment of the time it would take to carry out such an attack, such a decision would leave little time to pressure Netanyahu to cancel it.
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(צילום: Mandel Ngan / AFP, Mohammed Yassin/Reuters, Iranian Leader's Press Office, AP)
The same American assessment, according to the Times, also raised questions about the effectiveness of an Israeli attack without U.S. support. Several Israeli sources close to Netanyahu told the newspaper that they believe the U.S. would have no choice but to assist Israel militarily if Iran attacked back.
Israeli officials also told their U.S. counterparts that Netanyahu could order an attack on Iran even if a diplomatic agreement is reached. According to several sources briefed on the matter, after his meeting with Trump at the White House in April, Netanyahu ordered Israeli security officials to continue planning the attack on Iran, including a limited operation that would not require American assistance. Israel, it was reported, has many different plans for an attack on Iran, ranging from a targeted operation to several days of attacking Iranian facilities, including in several densely populated cities.
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While Jerusalem is concerned that President Trump is moving toward a problematic agreement in Israeli eyes, which leaves enrichment capabilities in the hands of the Iranians, the Americans have warned Israel not to surprise them with any military move that could sabotage the talks.
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who arrived in Israel this week for a quick visit, revealed that Washington gave Tehran only a few days to decide whether to accept or reject the proposed deal.