Israel Escalates Military Threats against Iran

Israeli soldiers stand in front of an Iron Dome defense system battery in the Hula Valley (AFP/Getty Images)
Israeli soldiers stand in front of an Iron Dome defense system battery in the Hula Valley (AFP/Getty Images)
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Israel Escalates Military Threats against Iran

Israeli soldiers stand in front of an Iron Dome defense system battery in the Hula Valley (AFP/Getty Images)
Israeli soldiers stand in front of an Iron Dome defense system battery in the Hula Valley (AFP/Getty Images)

Israel has escalated threats of a "military attack" against Iran if the nuclear agreement negotiations failed.

The commander of the Northern Brigade in the Israeli army, Major General Amir Baram, asserted that Tel Aviv is prepared to confront any terrorist infrastructure, and Air Force commander, Major General Amikam Norkin, said that his forces are preparing to face the threat of Iranian missiles fired at Israeli towns.

The military editor of Maariv newspaper, Tal Lev-Ram, revealed Israel is preparing for a possible attack in Iran by focusing on the readiness of the air force.

Lev-Ram added that the army is working at a high pace to develop its capabilities to launch destructive operations against Iranian targets.

He indicated that the army will not be satisfied with strikes that obstruct the nuclear program, pointing to the expansion of Iran's "bank of targets."

Haaretz military analyst Amos Harel said Israeli officials are currently focusing on the political discourse, stressing that Tel Aviv has the "right to defend itself," leaving the army to direct military threats.

Meanwhile, a top expert in Israeli-US relations told Asharq Al-Awsat that the differences between Tel Aviv and Washington are minor and superficial.

"I do not want to say that Washington and Tel Aviv share roles in the battle against the Iranian project, but I am confident that they complement each other's," said the expert, adding that they share their views on the Iranian threat.

Former Mossad chief, Yossi Cohen, told Ynet news that the option of an Israeli military strike on Iran's nuclear sites must be seriously considered.

"Independent strikes on nuclear sites, if Iran takes this path that endangers our existence, should and must be on the table — unequivocally," he urged.

He indicated that a good deal could prevent Iran from reaching a nuclear bomb, and a bad agreement like the one signed in 2015 can't do it perfectly.

"The bottom line is that we must take away the capabilities from Iran because we will not be able to take away its motivations."

Cohen stated that Israel should demand a good agreement, hoping the US would understand the meaning of a "bad agreement."

The Israeli security apparatus urges the US to pay attention to the Iranian activity accompanying its nuclear project.

It sent a report to the Pentagon claiming Iran has transferred hundreds of drones to Syria, and dozens to Iraq, Yemen, and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The report stated that three out of the six Iranian attacks in the Middle East involved drones.

Haaretz daily quoted Israeli sources as estimating that Iran is pushing attacks against targets in the Arab Gulf using drones as a means of pressure aimed at advancing interests related to its nuclear program.



Russia's Lavrov Warns against Any New US Strike on Iran

FILE PHOTO: Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov speaks during an annual press conference in Moscow, Russia, January 14, 2025. REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov speaks during an annual press conference in Moscow, Russia, January 14, 2025. REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina/File Photo
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Russia's Lavrov Warns against Any New US Strike on Iran

FILE PHOTO: Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov speaks during an annual press conference in Moscow, Russia, January 14, 2025. REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov speaks during an annual press conference in Moscow, Russia, January 14, 2025. REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina/File Photo

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, in ‌an interview made public on Wednesday, said that any new US strike on Iran would have serious consequences and called for restraint to find a solution to enable Iran to pursue a peaceful nuclear program.

Lavrov's interview with Saudi Arabia's Al-Arabiya television was aired a day after US and Iranian negotiators held indirect talks in Geneva to head off a new mounting crisis between Washington and Tehran, Reuters said.

"The consequences are not good. There have already been strikes on Iran on ‌nuclear sites ‌under the control of the International Atomic ‌Energy ⁠Agency. From what ⁠we can judge there were real risks of a nuclear incident," Lavrov said in the interview, which was posted on his ministry's website.

"I am carefully watching reactions in the region from Arab countries, Gulf monarchies. No one wants an increase in tension. Everyone understands this is playing with fire."

Boosting ⁠tensions, he said, could undo the ‌positive steps of recent years, including ‌improved relations between Iran and nearby countries, notably Saudi Arabia.

A senior ‌US official told Reuters on Wednesday that Iran was ‌expected to submit a written proposal on how to resolve its standoff with the United States after the talks in Geneva.

US national security advisers met in the White House on Wednesday and ‌were told all US military forces deployed to the region should be in place ⁠by mid-March, ⁠the official said.

The United States wants Iran to give up its nuclear program, and Iran has adamantly refused and denied it is trying to develop an atomic weapon.

Lavrov said Arab countries were sending signals to Washington "clearly calling for restraint and a search for an agreement that will not infringe on Iran's lawful rights and ... guarantee that Iran has a purely peaceful nuclear enrichment program".

Russia, he said, remained in close, regular contact with Iran's leaders "and we have no reason to doubt that Iran sincerely wants to resolve this problem on the basis of observing the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty".


AI Cannot Be Left to 'Whims of a Few Billionaires', UN Chief Says

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during a welcoming ceremony at AI Impact Summit, in New Delhi, India, February 18, 2026. India's Press Information Bureau/Handout via REUTERS
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during a welcoming ceremony at AI Impact Summit, in New Delhi, India, February 18, 2026. India's Press Information Bureau/Handout via REUTERS
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AI Cannot Be Left to 'Whims of a Few Billionaires', UN Chief Says

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during a welcoming ceremony at AI Impact Summit, in New Delhi, India, February 18, 2026. India's Press Information Bureau/Handout via REUTERS
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during a welcoming ceremony at AI Impact Summit, in New Delhi, India, February 18, 2026. India's Press Information Bureau/Handout via REUTERS

UN chief Antonio Guterres warned technology leaders Thursday of the risks of artificial intelligence, saying its future cannot be left to "the whims of a few billionaires".

Speaking at a global AI summit in India, the UN chief called on tech tycoons to support a $3 billion global fund to ensure open access to the fast-advancing technology for all.

"AI must belong to everyone," he said.

"The future of AI cannot be decided by a handful of countries -- or left to the whims of a few billionaires," he added, warning the world risked deepening inequality unless urgent steps were taken.

"Done right, AI can... accelerate breakthroughs in medicine, expand learning opportunities, strengthen food security, bolster climate action and disaster preparedness and improve access to vital public services," he said.

"But it can also deepen inequality, amplify bias and fuel harm."

The UN has set up an AI scientific advisory body to help countries make decisions about the revolutionary technology.

Guterres warned that people must be protected from exploitation, and that "no child should be a test subject for unregulated AI".

He pressed for global guardrails to ensure oversight and accountability, and the creation of "Global Fund on AI" to build basic capacity.

"Our target is $3 billion," he told the conference, which includes national leaders as well as tech CEOs, including Sam Altman of OpenAI and Google's Sundar Pichai.

"That's less than one percent of the annual revenue of a single tech company. A small price for AI diffusion that benefits all, including the businesses building AI."

Without investment, "many countries will be logged out of the AI age", exacerbating global divides, he said.

He also cautioned that as AI's energy and water demands soar, data centers must switch to clean power, rather than "shift costs to vulnerable communities".


US Military Tells Trump It's ‘Ready’ to Strike Iran as Soon as Saturday

A shot showing personnel preparations aboard the US aircraft carrier "Gerald Ford" (US Navy)
A shot showing personnel preparations aboard the US aircraft carrier "Gerald Ford" (US Navy)
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US Military Tells Trump It's ‘Ready’ to Strike Iran as Soon as Saturday

A shot showing personnel preparations aboard the US aircraft carrier "Gerald Ford" (US Navy)
A shot showing personnel preparations aboard the US aircraft carrier "Gerald Ford" (US Navy)

Top national security officials have told US President Donald Trump the military is ready for potential strikes on Iran as soon as Saturday, but the timeline for any action is likely to extend beyond this weekend, sources familiar with the discussions told CBS News.

Trump has not yet made a final decision about whether to strike, said the officials, who spoke under condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive national matters.

The conversations have been described as fluid and ongoing, as the White House weighs the risks of escalation and the political and military consequences of restraint, added CBS.

Over the next three days, the Pentagon is moving some personnel temporarily out of the Middle East region — primarily to Europe or back to the United States — ahead of potential action or counterattacks by Iran if the US were to move ahead with its operation, according to multiple officials.

It's standard practice for the Pentagon to shift assets and personnel ahead of a potential US military activity and doesn't necessarily signal an attack on Iran is imminent, one of the sources told CBS.

Contacted by CBS News on Wednesday afternoon, a Pentagon spokesperson said they had no information to provide.

Iran was discussed in the White House Situation Room on Wednesday, a US official and a senior military official told CBS News. All military forces deployed to the region are expected to be in place by mid-March.

Axios had also said that a war between the United States and Iran is looming — and there are several factors suggesting President Trump might push the button soon.

On Wednesday, Iran's top diplomat Abbas Araghchi said that Tehran was "drafting" a framework for future talks with the United States, as the US energy secretary said Washington would stop Iran's nuclear ambitions "one way or another".