Hebrew and American media reported on Monday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking to obtain a green light from US President Donald Trump to launch a new attack on Iran without direct American participation.
Trump is scheduled to receive Netanyahu in the city of Miami in the US state of Florida on 29 December.
Citing unnamed official Israeli sources, the Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Netanyahu will present Trump with updated intelligence related to Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah, in an attempt to convince him of what the occupation describes as an acceleration in the production of Iranian ballistic missiles.
The sources said that Trump’s approval of a unilateral Israeli strike against Tehran would be considered a major achievement for Netanyahu, given the occupation’s awareness that the United States does not wish to become directly involved in a new military confrontation.
Last Saturday, Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir contacted the commander of the US Central Command, Brad Cooper, and informed him that the occupation is concerned about a missile exercise launched by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard days earlier, according to the Axios website, citing informed American and Israeli sources.
The sources said Zamir told Cooper that recent Iranian missile movements and other operational steps could serve as cover for a surprise attack, and he urged American coordination with the occupation regarding defensive preparedness.
Army Radio quoted an unnamed security official on Monday as saying, “We are monitoring Iranian efforts to manufacture ballistic missiles at a high pace.”
The official added that Iranian armament would be a central issue in the upcoming talks between Netanyahu and Trump during their anticipated meeting next week.
According to occupation claims, Iran was left at the end of the war with 1,500 missiles, down from 3,000 previously, and 200 launch platforms out of an original 400.
The reports added that the Iranians have begun taking steps to rebuild their forces, but have not yet returned to the level they were at before the war.
Israeli military intelligence and the Mossad do not believe there is an urgent need to launch an attack on Iran in the next two or three months, but they believe it could become a more pressing issue in 2026, according to the sources.
According to Yedioth Ahronoth, Netanyahu is heading into his meeting with Trump fully aware of the difficulty of the task.
The report added, “However, he is betting on an intelligence presentation and political pressure to secure gains, most notably an undeclared American authorisation for any potential Israeli move against Iran.”
Meanwhile, the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation reported that Netanyahu has recently been holding consultations with senior leaders of the security establishment regarding Iran, amid reports of accelerated efforts to rehabilitate Iran’s ballistic missile programme, ahead of his anticipated visit to Miami.
It explained that these consultations come against the backdrop of reports published in foreign media about Iranian attempts to rebuild military capabilities damaged in the previous war.
