Israel is warning a “military option” could be required to stop Iran from building nuclear weapons and is looking to US President Donald Trump for help in ramping up pressure on the country, according to Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar.
Speaking to POLITICO in Brussels, Saar said time was running out as Iran had enriched enough uranium for a “couple of bombs” and was “playing with ways” to weaponize its enriched nuclear material — an outcome he said would have a hugely destabilizing impact on the Middle East.
“I think that in order to stop a nuclear Iranian program before it will be weaponized, a reliable military option should be on the table,” Saar said, when asked about the possibility of strikes during the Trump presidency.
Adding to the urgency of addressing the Iran threat, Saar said, was a trend by which Iranian weapons are being smuggled to the West Bank via the border with Jordan.
“We are now confronting a huge attempt by Iran via money and weapons that are floating to what you call the West Bank,” he said, adding that the aim was to “inflame these territories.”
The warning comes amid escalating rhetoric between Iran and Israel, particularly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities with Washington’s backing.
During a joint press conference with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio last week, Netanyahu claimed that Israel had already dealt a “strong blow” to Iran since the start of the Gaza war. He asserted that, with the support of US President Donald Trump, Israel had the capability to “complete the mission.”
Trump himself recently raised the possibility of an Israeli attack on Iran, though he stated that he preferred negotiating a deal to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons. US intelligence agencies have reportedly warned that Israel is considering major strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in the first half of this year, taking advantage of Iran’s current vulnerabilities.
Iran now faces a strategic crossroads—either engage in negotiations with Trump or risk further regional setbacks.
In Washington, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz had previously reaffirmed that Iran would never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon. He warned that an Iranian nuclear capability would pose a global threat and could enable Tehran to conduct terrorist attacks under a nuclear shield.
Earlier this month, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi warned that Iran was in the process of increasing around sevenfold its monthly production of uranium enriched to up to 60%.
He said Iran would likely have about 250 kg of uranium enriched to up to 60% by the time of the agency's next report in the coming weeks.
Decisive response
Last Monday, senior Iranian military official warned that Tehran would deliver a decisive response to any Israeli threat against its interests, including warnings backed by the United States.
General Gholam Ali Rashid, head of the Armed Forces Operations Room, stated that any Israeli threat against Iran would be assessed in light of US support for Israel and would be met with firm action by Iran’s military. He emphasized that Iran would target not only the source of aggression but also the facilities and bases supporting Israel’s operations.
Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the Iranian Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Division, warned that the country possesses “sufficient regional targets” for low-cost missile strikes, saying: “If we deploy 500 or 1,000 drones instead of 150, what could they possibly do?”
Brigadier General Alireza Sabahifard, commander of the of Iran’s Air Defense Force, said on Tuesday that the Iranian air defense system had conducted drills on possible enemy infiltration scenarios, and successfully countered them.
“The specified goals of the drills have been achieved,” he added.
Last week, the US military conducted its second Bomber Task Force Mission in the Middle East for the second time in 48 hours, the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) said.
Two B-52 bombers from RAF Fairford, UK flew across Europe and six partner countries in the Middle East, which included aerial refueling and training missions at ranges.
