Israel’s not ready for war with Iran – here’s why

Netanyahu reportedly urged Trump to delay attacking Iran, warning that strikes are unlikely at this point to topple the regime and that Israel is not ready for a major war with the Islamic Republic.

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News

Israel’s air defense network is not prepared for a major war with Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned President Donald Trump, according to two separate reports.

The two leaders spoke twice last week, including a phone call on Wednesday, during which Netanyahu encouraged Trump to delay plans to strike Iran for its mass killings of protesters, according to two sources cited in reports by The Washington Post and CNN.

A person close to the White House told the Post that Netanyahu initiated the call Wednesday, asking Trump not to strike Iran at this time, explaining that Israel is not prepared to defend itself.

Part of the concern, according to the report, stems from the absence of major American military assets in the region.

The US Navy has dispatched the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier battlegroup – centered around a 116,000-ton Nimitz-class nuclear-powered carrier – to the Middle East, though it is still days away from its destination.

A second source, familiar with the details of Wednesday’s call, told CNN that Netanyahu specifically raised concerns over the readiness of Israel’s missile defense systems following extensive use during the June war with Iran.

According to the CNN report, the decision by Netanyahu to request that Trump hold off on attacking Iran had a major impact on the president, who noted that Netanyahu had in the past lobbied the US to join in Israel’s planned attack on Iran.

A number of America’s Arab allies, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar, have also pushed Trump to avoid war with Iran, seeking to deescalate tensions between the two countries.

However, Trump told reporters on Friday that he had not been “convinced” by either Israel or Arab leaders to hold off on attacking Iran.

“Nobody convinced me. I convinced myself,” he said outside the White House.