Israel to ‘quickly’ strike Iran if nuclear deal talks fail: report

With talks faltering, Israeli officials doubt a deal with Iran is still possible.

By World Israel News Staff

Israel is prepared to immediately attack Iran’s nuclear facilities should the diplomatic talks aimed at stopping Tehran’s nuclear development program fail, according to a new report.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “is waiting for the nuclear talks to collapse and for the moment Trump will be disappointed about the negotiations and open to giving him the go ahead,” an Israeli source told Axios.

Israeli intelligence officials now believe that the talks are not likely to result in a deal and that, in all likelihood, no agreement will be reached.

Speaking to Axios, a source said that Israel is prioritizing speed and wants to attack as soon as possible after the announcement that the talks have officially failed.

Days earlier, CNN reported that U.S. intelligence had picked up on indications, including aerial drills and the movement of munitions, that Israel was preparing to hit Iran’s nuclear sites.

However, an analyst told CNN that Israel is highly unlikely to attack Iran without American approval, fearing a rift with President Donald Trump.

A source confirmed the accuracy of the CNN report to Axios, saying that “the U.S. military sees everything and understands Israel is preparing.”

During a press conference on Wednesday evening, Netanyahu stressed that the U.S. and Israel were aligned on the Iranian threat.

“We respect their interests and they respect our interests and they overlap almost completely,” Netanyahu said.

“But in any case, Israel maintains the right to defend itself from a regime that is threatening to annihilate it,” he added.

A major point of contention in the negotiations is Iran’s insistence on continuing to enrich uranium – to which the U.S. has expressed staunch opposition.

“Enriching uranium is our right, and we will not seek permission from anyone, least of all the Americans. Their words are nonsense,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Tuesday.