Israel has signaled to the United States that it is prepared to launch a single attack on targets in Iran's ballistic program, considering them to be a “existential threat” for Tel Aviv, according to sources cited by The Jerusalem Post.
Israel threatens to attack independent Iran PHOTO: Shutterstock
“We have told the Americans that we will launch an attack on our own if Iran crosses the red line we have set with regard to ballistic missiles”one of the Israeli officials told The Jerusalem Post. In recent meetings with their American counterparts, the Israeli military presented several plans to destroy Iran's missile production facilities.
One of the Israeli military described the current situation as “a historic opportunity” to launch a significant attack on Iran's ballistic infrastructure and neutralize active threats to Israel and neighboring states. At the same time, Israeli officials expressed concern that, in the event of an attack, the US could launch only limited strikes on Iran, which “they will not remove the main threat”. “There are fears that Washington could pick a few targets, declare success and let Israel deal with the consequences”one of the Israeli soldiers explained.
Netanyahu – Trump meeting and nuclear negotiations
On February 11, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with US President Donald Trump to discuss the recent negotiations between the US and Iran on the nuclear deal. The Israeli Prime Minister's Office pointed out that “any negotiations must include restrictions on Iran's ballistic missiles”.
According to Axios, Netanyahu's visit to the US has been advanced and is considered “expedite“, as it was originally planned for February 18. White House officials stated that the Israeli side requested to postpone the meeting by a week.
On February 6, the US and Iran held talks mediated by Oman, which were viewed positively, but differences remained. Tehran has said it is ready to consider a deal on uranium enrichment without a total ban, but has refused to negotiate on the missile program, saying it is “a defensive matter”. President Donald Trump has emphasized that an acceptable condition for the US would be for Iran to completely give up its nuclear weapons.
