ALBAWABA - Israeli media say that Israel has told the US that it may take military action against Iran on its own if Tehran crosses what Israel sees as a red line when it comes to its nuclear missile program.
In recent days, Washington and Tehran started negotiating again, sending this message. This made Israelis even more worried that a possible deal might only cover Iran's nuclear activities and not its missile capabilities.
On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to arrive in Washington, D.C., for talks with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House. The main topic of their talks will likely be Iran.
A Letter to Washington
Netanyahu is likely to make it clear what Israel's red lines are and what parts of any possible deal between the US and Iran Israel will not accept.
The Jerusalem Post reports that Israeli defense officials have recently told their American counterparts that Iran's ballistic missile program is a threat to Israel's very existence. They made it clear that Israel has the freedom to act on its own if needed.
Israeli security sources say that in the past few weeks, top officials have told the public that Israel plans to use targeted military action to destroy Iran's missile production infrastructure if diplomatic efforts fail.
Plans and worries about the military
According to the story, Israeli military officials have laid out operational plans to weaken Iran's missile capabilities. These plans include possible attacks on key facilities for making and supporting missiles.
According to a source in Israel, Washington was told that Israel would act on its own if Iran crossed the "red line" when it comes to missiles. It is important to note that this point has not yet been reached, but that events in Iran are being closely watched.
Officials said again that Israel would not let Iran rebuild strategic weapons systems to a point where they could threaten Israel's very survival.
A top military official called the current situation a "historic opportunity" to do a lot of damage to Iran's missile infrastructure and stop the threats that are still coming at Israel and other nearby countries.
Different Views on Strategy
Israeli officials are said to be worried that Trump might choose limited military strikes, like the ones the U.S. recently used against the Houthis in Yemen. They are afraid that this would leave Iran's most important assets unharmed.
Another military source from Israel warned that only taking some steps could let Iran get back on its feet quickly, leaving Israel to deal with the long-term effects.
Go to Delegation
The story says that Brigadier General Omer Tishler, who was just named commander of the Israeli Air Force, will likely go with Netanyahu on the trip.
Tishler will speak for Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir because Israel does not have a defense attaché in Washington right now because Defense Minister Israel Katz did not accept the military's candidate for the job.
