Israel is considering taking military action against Iran in the coming days without American support, sources have informed US media.
The reports come as US President Donald Trump is reportedly in advanced discussions with Iran about a diplomatic deal to limit the Middle Eastern country’s nuclear program.
Israel is said to be increasingly serious about a unilateral strike on Iran as negotiations between Washington and Tehran seem to be moving closer to a preliminary agreement that includes provisions about uranium enrichment.
Israel views those provisions as unacceptale.
Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu’s government is therefore considering a strike on Iran, a source close to Capitol Hill and other sources familiar with the matter have disclosed to Sky News’ US partner network, NBC News.
An Israeli strike on Iran would mark a significant departure from the Trump administration, which has been opposed to such a move.
According to two sources familiar with the matter, the prospect of a new conflict in the Middle East has led the Trump administration to instruct all embassies within range of Iranian missiles and military assets to assess the potential threat to Americans and US infrastructure.
The White House has yet to brief senior politicians on the situation, according to a US official.
These reports follow the US State Department’s announcement that it ordered the evacuation of all non-essential personnel from its embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, owing to the possibility of regional unrest.
The evacuation notice did not specify any potential attack by Israel on Iran.
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly stated, “The State Department frequently reviews American personnel overseas, and this decision was made as a result of a recent review.”
This comes as the US is also granting non-essential personnel and family members in Bahrain and Kuwait the option to leave these countries.
Iraqi soldiers outside the US embassy in Baghdad in 2020. Pic: AP
An Iraqi government source stated that Baghdad has not recorded any security indications that would justify the evacuation.
Due to already limited staffing in the US embassy in Baghdad, the order will affect only a small number of personnel.
Meanwhile, military dependents in Bahrain and Kuwait will have the option to leave these countries at government expense and with government assistance.
When asked why US personnel are being moved out of the Middle East, Mr. Trump said on Wednesday evening, “They are being moved out because it could be a dangerous place, and we’ll see what happens.”
Regarding the possibility of reducing tensions in the region, the US president stated, “They can’t have a nuclear weapon; it’s very simple; they can’t have a nuclear weapon; we won’t allow that.”
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is set to meet Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Muscat, Oman, on Sunday to discuss Iran’s response to a recent US proposal, according to American news site Axios, which cited a US official.
Both the US and Iran have been engaged in talks aiming to limit Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of some economic sanctions.
Iran maintains that its nuclear program is peaceful.
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Tehran and Washington tensions
Mr. Trump, who has previously stated that Israel or the US could carry out airstrikes targeting Iranian nuclear facilities if negotiations failed, expressed a less optimistic view about reaching a deal with Iran.
He told the New York Post’s “Pod Force One” podcast that he was “becoming more and more less confident” about a deal.
“They seem to be delaying, and I think that’s a shame. I’m less confident now than I would have been a couple of months ago. Something happened to them,” he said in the interview released on Wednesday.
Iran’s mission to the UN posted on the social media platform X that “threats of ‘overwhelming force’ won’t change facts.”
“Iran is not seeking a nuclear weapon, and US militarism only fuels instability,” the Iranian mission commented on Wednesday.
