New intelligence obtained by the United States suggests that Israel is making preparations to strike Iranian nuclear facilities, CNN reported on Tuesday, citing multiple US officials familiar with the intelligence.
Such a strike would be a brazen break with President Donald Trump, US officials said. It could also risk tipping off a broader regional conflict in the Middle East - something the US has sought to avoid since the war in Gaza inflamed regional tensions.
Officials caution it’s not clear that Israeli leaders have made a final decision, and that in fact, there is deep disagreement within the US government about the likelihood that Israel will ultimately act.
They said whether and how Israel strikes will likely depend on what it thinks of the US negotiations with Tehran over its nuclear program.
But “the chance of an Israeli strike on an Iranian nuclear facility has gone up significantly in recent months,” said another person familiar with US intelligence on the issue. “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.”
Trump’s administration has been conducting negotiations with Iran aimed at achieving a diplomatic deal over its nuclear program.
Earlier on Tuesday, Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, said US demands that Tehran stop enriching uranium are “excessive and outrageous,” state media reported, voicing doubts over whether talks on a new nuclear deal will succeed.