The US assessment is reportedly based on both intercepted Israeli communications and visible military movements, including the repositioning of aerial munitions and the completion of a major Israeli air exercise.
Fresh intelligence gathered by the United States suggests that Israel is “actively preparing” for a possible military strike on Iranian nuclear facilities, CNN reported citing multiple US officials on Tuesday. The developments come even as President Donald Trump’s administration continues its diplomatic efforts with Tehran to curb its nuclear ambitions.
According to the report, while Israel has not made a final decision, officials familiar with the intelligence believe that the probability of a strike has risen sharply in recent months. The intelligence indicates a heightened state of readiness, reflecting growing concerns over Iran’s nuclear enrichment programme.
Officials say that the final call on a potential military move will depend largely on the outcome of ongoing US-Iran negotiations. A source quoted in the report noted, “The chance of an Israeli strike on an Iranian nuclear facility has gone up significantly, especially if the diplomatic efforts fail to produce a deal that fully restricts Iran’s uranium enrichment,” as per CNN.
The US assessment is reportedly based on both intercepted Israeli communications and visible military movements, including the repositioning of aerial munitions and the completion of a major Israeli air exercise. However, officials also warned that these moves could be part of a broader Israeli effort to pressure Iran diplomatically, rather than a sign of imminent military action. As per the report, any such attack would mark a serious divergence from Trump’s current diplomacy strategy and could risk triggering wider conflict across the already-volatile Middle East. Since the outbreak of the Gaza war in 2023, the US has sought to avoid such escalation.
President Trump has threatened military action if talks with Iran fail, but has publicly committed to diplomacy in the short term. In March, Trump sent a letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, giving Tehran a 60-day deadline to reach a deal. That deadline has passed, and it has been over five weeks since the talks began. Meanwhile, a senior Western diplomat told CNN that Trump, in a recent meeting, signalled he would allow only a few more weeks for the negotiations to succeed before considering military options. Israel, meanwhile, is navigating difficult choices.
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