The US envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff warned that if an Israeli attack announced by the media arises on Iranian nuclear installations, Tehran's retaliation may overwhelm Israeli air defense and cause mass sacrifices and large losses – Axios said on Thursday.
Witkoff was to tell republican senators last week that if Washington and Tehran did not reach an agreement on the nuclear agreement, Israel could attack Iran, “Axios told the sources.
The envoy of President Donald Trump was also to warn that the possible retaliation of Tehran could cause mass sacrifices and destruction, and the Arsenal of Iranian ballistic missiles is an “equally big threat” to Israel as the country's nuclear program.
The American media announced on Thursday that Israel is ready to attack the Iranian nuclear infrastructure “in the coming days”.
It is not clear whether and what role the United States would play in such a hit. According to the media, Trump warned in recent weeks of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to attack Iran.
The American leader was to appeal that Israel would refrain from the attack until the negotiations were completed. The US ambassador to Jerusalem Mike Huckabe said on Thursday that he did not think Israel would attack Iran without Washington's consent.
On Sunday, the sixth round of American-Iranian conversations about a nuclear agreement is to take place, which is to be limited by the Iranian atomic program in exchange for the abolition of some sanctions.
The main goal of Washington is to prevent Iran from building nuclear weapons. The West accuses Tehran of secretly developing the ability necessary to produce it. Iran denies, arguing that his nuclear program has only civil character.
For the government in Jerusalem, Iran remains the most important and dangerous enemy. The regime in Tehran declares his desire to destroy Israel. According to the media, Israel in recent months intensified preparations for a preventive attack on Iran, even despite Trump's unfavorableness towards this move.
There is no indication that a breakthrough should occur in US-Iran negotiations. Trump admitted on Wednesday that he wasn't sure if he would convince Tehran to stop enriching Uranus. Iran declares that he will not agree to this key US demand. On Thursday, however, Trump announced that the US is close to the conclusion of a “quite good” contract with Iran, but he added that there is a risk of an outbreak of “powerful conflict”.
Trump has repeatedly threatened with military and economic consequences if Tehran rejected the agreement.
The New York Times wrote on Thursday that if an Israeli strike came to fruition, Iran is prepared for immediate counterattack with hundreds of ballistic missiles.
Iran has already threatened that his possible retaliation may include attacks on American bases in the Middle East. The US announced on Wednesday evening that they were withdrawing some of their diplomats and their families from the region's countries.
President Iran Masud Pezeszkian announced on Thursday that if his country's nuclear potential is destroyed, he would be rebuilt.
The commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard of General Hoseym Salami announced the same day that retaliation for any Israeli attack will be “more painful and destructive” than two massive Iranian raids to Israel in 2024.
In April and October last year Iran fired at Israel – approximately 120 and 200 ballistic missiles, respectively. Most of the missiles were shot down, the army helped in defense of Israel, including USA, Great Britain and France. Israel conducted retaliation to Iran.
From October 2024, Iran significantly increased the production of ballistic missiles to about 50 a month – wrote Axios behind the American source. The portal added that according to US intelligence, Tehran has about 2,000 bullets with heads of about 900 kg or larger.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (Maea) formally recognized on Thursday that for the first time in 20 years Iran does not fulfill its obligations in the nuclear sphere. On the same day, Iran announced that he was going to open a new uranium enrichment plant.
Jerzy Adamiak (PAP)
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