US Intelligence Warns of Potential Israeli Strike on Iran’s Nuclear Program
According to the Washington Post, US intelligence agencies have warned that Israel is likely to launch a preemptive strike on Iran’s nuclear program by mid-year. The report cites multiple intelligence briefings from the end of the Biden administration and the beginning of the Trump administration.
Such an attack would set back Iran’s nuclear program by weeks or months, while also escalating tensions in the region and risking a larger conflict, the Post reported.
The White House declined to comment, as did the Israeli government, the CIA, the Defense Intelligence Agency and the Director of National Intelligence.
Brian Hughes, a spokesperson for the National Security Council, said that President Donald Trump would not allow Iran to possess a nuclear weapon. “While he prefers a peaceful solution to the long-standing problems of Americans with the Islamic Republic, he will not wait forever if Iran is not willing to negotiate and that will be soon” Hughes told the Post.
The most detailed intelligence report was prepared by the Defense Intelligence Agency and the Joint Chiefs of Staff in early January, the Post reported. It warned that Israel is likely to target Iran’s nuclear facilities at Fordo and Natanz.
Current and former US officials familiar with the intelligence information said that Israel has concluded that its October airstrikes weakened Iran’s air defenses and left the country vulnerable to a retaliatory attack.