Benjamin Netanyahu is preparing for a possible attack on Iran’s nuclear installations in a series of secret high-level meetings with defence officials, according to a leaked report.
he Israeli prime minister has held five meetings with his defence chiefs, intelligence officials and the head of Mossad to discuss a potential strike on Iran’s nuclear programme, Israel’s Channel 12 reported.
While Israel does not typically announce strikes in advance, it has consistently messaged concerns over Iran’s nuclear programme, suggesting the leak could be a deliberate signal to compel western allies to stop Iran developing nuclear weapons.
Israel is believed to carry out regular attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities and staff, but never admits responsibility.
The longer you wait, the harder that becomes. We’ve waited very long
The Netanyahu government has reportedly shared its secret plans with the US and France, warning them it will act alone if the international community will not provide support.
Details of the meetings emerged a day after Mr Netanyahu said: “The only thing that has ever stopped rogue nations from developing nuclear weapons is a credible military threat or a credible military action. A necessary condition and often a sufficient condition is credible military action. The longer you wait, the harder that becomes. We’ve waited very long.”
Mr Netanyahu has long claimed Iran’s programme poses an existential threat to Israel, though Tehran says it does not seek atomic weapons, and its research is for peaceful purposes.
Israel opposes world powers renewing a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran from which Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the US in 2018. Since then, Iran has reduced its compliance with the agreement, and talks have stalled.
While the deal limited the purity to which Tehran could enrich uranium to 3.67pc, by 2021 it was enriching to 60pc.
And last week, Bloomberg reported the UN had detected uranium at 84pc purity, close to weapons grade, at an Iranian facility. Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation has described the presence of any enriched material above 60pc as “an anomaly”.
“So far, we have not made any attempt to enrich above 60pc,” said Behrouz Kamalvandi, its spokesman, in remarks published by state news agency IRNA.
Yesterday, Mohammed Eslami, Iran’s nuclear chief, said inspectors from the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog were in Tehran resolving “ambiguities”.
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