US President Donald Trump is reportedly viewed in Jerusalem as more accepting of an attack on Iran, with US assistance seen as necessary to penetrate nuclear facilities buried deep in the ground
i24NEWS
According to a report in the Wall Street Journal early Thursday, US intelligence assessed that Israel is considering striking Iranian nuclear sites attacks on Iran’s nuclear sites this year.
The assessment came at the tail end of the Biden administration, with incoming President Donald Trump viewed in Jerusalem as more accepting of such an attack, officials told the paper.
Another intelligence assessment made during the first weeks of the Trump administration made similar conclusions.
The fear in Israel, according to the report, is that the window of opportunity to stop Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons is closing, said two people familiar with the intelligence. US military officials reported that likely American support and military equipment would be needed for a planned attack on heavily fortified Iranian nuclear sites, which are deemed beyond the capability of Israeli bombs.
Israel has previously raised the threat of a major attack after the October 26 retaliation on Iran, responding to Tehran’s second missile and drone strike on Israel last year. The attack is believed to have left Iran significiantly exposed, as its anti-aircraft array was weakened.
Trump has touted a “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran, although he stated that he does not want war and hopes for negotiations to solve the issue of Iran seeking a nuclear weapon.
Tehran has repeatedly denied is nuclear program is for anything other than civilian purposes.