Israel will strike Iran in 2026 but no US green light for now: report

The Trump administration reportedly won’t approve action against Iran in the near term.

By World Israel News Staff

A senior European diplomat has warned that Israel is likely to strike Iran within the coming year as the Islamic Republic works to rebuild its nuclear sites and ballistic missile manufacturing facilities.

However, the diplomat said a renewed round of conflict between the two countries is unlikely in the immediate future.

Speaking to Ynet, the unnamed official said the Trump administration is not expected to approve Israeli military action against Iran in the near term, as Washington is focused on advancing Phase II of the Gaza ceasefire and facilitating the rebuilding of the Strip.

“The Americans won’t want it to overshadow the Gaza reconstruction process, and they won’t want to jeopardize that by approving a major operation against Iran right now,” the official told Ynet.

Israeli officials, meanwhile, have repeatedly warned that Iran’s public commitment to continuing its nuclear development program—and the fact that its nuclear facilities were not fully destroyed during June’s 12-day Operation Rising Lion—means Israel may have no choice but to strike again.

“Do I believe Israel will take military action in Iran within the next 12 months? Personally, yes,” the diplomat said.

“It’s clear that the Iranian leadership — and especially Supreme Leader Khamenei — has not drawn the right conclusions from the recent round. On the contrary, they appear to be doubling down on their efforts.”

A renewed confrontation with Israel, the diplomat warned, would be “dramatic and potentially tragic for Iran.”

Since the end of the conflict, Iranian leaders have threatened stronger retaliation if Israel carries out another offensive.

“The moment Israel starts a war, we will also enter a war with the United States,” Maj. Gen. Mohsen Rezaei, a former commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, told Iranian state television in late September.

Days later, an Israeli official told the Hebrew-language outlet Ma’ariv that Jerusalem is “monitoring developments across the Middle East, including events in Iran.”

The official added that “both Israel and Iran are engaged in an arms race and are learning from each other. We are preparing for a range of scenarios, including the possibility that we may once again be required to take action against Iran.”