Iran chemical weapons pose no threat to Israel: Security source

The remarks come amid uncertainty over whether Washington will resume military action against Tehran.

By World Israel News Staff

An Israeli defense official has downplayed the threat that Iran’s chemical weapons capabilities could pose to Israel, despite reports that Israeli intelligence has warned the United States and Gulf allies about the potential danger.

“At this point, Iran has no chemical capability that poses a threat to the State of Israel,” the official told the Hebrew-language outlet Ynet on Wednesday morning.

The remarks follow a New York Times report that Israeli intelligence officials had alerted Washington and Gulf states to concerns about Iran’s chemical weapons capabilities, warning that they could pose a threat to American troops and regional allies.

According to the Times, however, some officials in the Trump administration viewed the warning with skepticism, suspecting that Israel was seeking to draw President Donald Trump back into direct military conflict with the Islamic Republic.

Addressing the report, the Israeli defense official said that the threat was being tracked and that Israel was prepared to respond if necessary.

“We are monitoring the threat, and if necessary, we will know how to act and inform the public,” the official said.

The comments come amid mixed signals from Washington about the possibility of renewed hostilities with Iran, following a period of heightened tensions between the countries.

In a phone interview with the Financial Times following a major Democratic victory in the midterm elections, Trump played down the likelihood of the United States launching an extensive bombing campaign against Iran, saying that Washington was currently in a strong position.

The president described the U.S. position vis-à-vis Iran as “brilliant” and said negotiations with the Islamic Republic were progressing well.

However, Trump stressed that the United States remained prepared to launch military action if circumstances required it.

“I’m ready, we’re ready. We’re locked and loaded if we need to go, but there may be no reason for it,” he said.