Report: US may ask Israel to join attack on Iran

Unprecedented security cooperation – US heavily relying on Israeli intel and experience fighting Iran as the CIA and Central Command gear up for a possible war with the Islamic Republic.

By World Israel News Staff

The United States may call upon Israel to join in attacking Iran, should President Donald Trump decide upon military intervention against the Islamic Republic, Yedioth Ahronoth‘s Itamar Eichner reported on Monday.

According to the report, cooperation between the American military and intelligence community on one hand and their Israeli counterparts on the other has reached an “unprecedented level,” as the US seeks to take advantage of Israeli military intelligence on Iran, as well as the IDF’s experience in combat with Iranian forces during last year’s 12-day war.

The commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), Admiral Brad Cooper, visited Israel late last month, meeting with IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir – a sign of the importance the US has placed on Israel’s guidance in preparing for a possible war with Iran.

Beyond providing intel and sharing lessons learned from the June 2025 war, Israel could also significantly bolster coalition air assets in the region.

With the arrival of the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea last week, the US now has roughly 150 front-line, fixed-wing combat aircraft available in CENTCOM.

American forces deployed to the region are capable of inflicting heavy damage on Iran’s military and command-and-control centers, but would be unable to deliver a devastating first-strike knocking out the Islamic Republic’s offensive missile capabilities.

That vulnerability has raised concerns among American allies of blowback from a potential strike, with Iran likely to retaliate targeting not only Israel, but also American military bases and embassies across the Middle East.

While the US can also dispatch its roughly 140 strategic bomber aircraft such as the B-1, B-2, and B-52 directly from the United States for missions in Iran, as it did in June 2025, the 36-40-hour roundtrip travel time would limit the number of sorties that could be mounted against Iranian targets.

The addition of Israel’s air force, however, would effectively double the number of front-line combat aircraft available, with the IAF operating approximately 300 American-made fighter jets.