• New US intelligence suggests that Israel is preparing to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities even while the US is trying to make a diplomatic deal.
• An attack could lead to a wider conflict in the Middle East, inflaming tensions and drawing foreign powers in.
CNN has reported that the US has obtained new intelligence suggesting that Israel is making preparations to strike Iranian nuclear facilities, even when the Trump administration is trying to pursue a diplomatic deal with Tehran, multiple US officials familiar with the latest intelligence told CNN.
Such a strike could tip off the Middle East into a broader conflict, something the Trump administration is trying to avoid.
According to officials, it is not fully clear whether Israel has made the final decision to carry out the attack; rather, there is still deep disagreement within the US government about the likelihood of the attack.
A person familiar with the US intelligence on the issue who was not named said:
“The chance of an Israeli strike on an Iranian nuclear facility has gone up significantly in recent months. “And the prospect of a Trump-negotiated US-Iran deal that doesn’t remove all of Iran’s uranium makes the chance of a strike more likely.”
Multiple sources familiar with the intelligence said the worries stem from public and private messaging from senior Israeli officials but also from intercepted Israeli communications and observations of Israeli military movements.
They also said these worries are suggesting an imminent strike.
Among the Israeli military preparations, the US has observed are the movement of air munitions and the completion of an air exercise.
Trump voiced hope last Wednesday when he said that US diplomatic efforts would succeed with Iran even as he vowed rigorous enforcement of sanctions.
Israel had planned to attack Iranian nuclear facilities in May but was waved off by President Trump in favour of negotiating a deal with Tehran to limit its nuclear programme, according to administration officials and others briefed on the discussions.
Most US allies have favoured diplomacy instead of war out of fear the war could tip the whole Middle East into a conflict.
Iran has in the past threatened to attack the UAE and even Saudi Arabia if attacked by the US; it is unknown if they will react the same way if attacked by Israel.
