CNN published yesterday a long article entitled, “New Intelligence Suggests Israel Is Preparing Possible Strike on Iranian Nuclear Facilities,” claiming that “multiple U.S. officials familiar with the latest intelligence” indicate that Israel is preparing a possible strike on Iranian nuclear facilities, “even as the Trump administration has been pursuing a diplomatic deal with Tehran. Such a strike would be a brazen break with President Donald Trump, U.S. officials said. It could also risk tipping off a broader regional conflict in the Middle East….”
The intel is described as coming from three sources: a) public and private messaging from senior Israeli officials involved in the planning; b) intercepted Israeli communications; and c) observations of Israeli military movements that could suggest an imminent strike. The last refers to movements of “air munitions and the completion of an air exercise.” CNN stated that the Israeli Embassy in Washington made no comment, and that CNN has asked the National Security Council and the Israeli prime minister’s office for comment.
CNN wrote: “Whether and how Israel strikes will likely depend on what it thinks of the U.S. negotiations with Tehran over its nuclear program. One source said that ‘the chance of an Israeli strike on an Iranian nuclear facility has gone up significantly in recent months. And the prospect of a Trump-negotiated U.S.-Iran deal that doesn’t remove all of Iran’s uranium makes the chance of a strike more likely.’”
