A full-blown war between Israel and Iran is on the horizon after US officials confirmed that Benjamin Netanyahu’s regime is ‘fully ready’ to launch an attack.
Meanwhile, a senior Iranian official says that Tehran had already been tipped off to the potential assault and is preparing retaliatory action ‘more forceful and destructive way’ than they have in the past.
The US, according to reports, is already preparing to evacuate its embassy in Iraq as well to remove nonessential embassy personnel and family members from Bahrain and Kuwait.
The New York Times has reported that senior memberfs of the Iranian military and government are mulling over what action to take if they face a barrage of ballistic missiles.
Multiple sources have confirmed US officials have been told Israel is ready to launch a military operation against Iran, potentially without the US support it usally relies on for intelligence and logistical assistance.
The US fears such an attack would see Iran also target American assets in neighbouring Iraq.
The International Atomic Energy Agency formally found this week that Iran had not been complying with its nuclear obligations for the first time in 20 years.
This discovery is expected to escalate tensions in the region even further, with further United Nations sanctions on Tehran by the end of the year
The nuclear watchdog stated: “The significantly increased production and accumulation of highly enriched uranium by Iran, the only non-nuclear-weapon state to produce such nuclear material, is of serious concern.”
US President Donald Trump previously warned that Israel or America could carry out airstrikes targeting Iranian nuclear facilities if negotiations failed.
Speaking to the Pod Force One podcast, Trump admitted he was less confidenct that Iran would agree to stop nuclear production, saying: “I don’t know, I don’t know. I did think so, and I’m getting more and more – less confident about it.”
Iranian defence minister Aziz Nasirzadeh told reporters on Wednesday that in the event of failed nuclear talks with the States: “America will have to leave the region because all its military bases are within our reach and we will, without any consideration, target them in the host countries.”
All this comes ahead of a meeting between special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi in Oman on Sunday to discuss the Iranian response to a recent US nuclear deal proposal.