Hours after Donald Trump announced that the $4 billion annual aid to Israel would be halted, the New York Times reported a development with respect to the US, Israel and their allies’ joint operation against Iran.
According to the New York Times, Israel’s intelligence agencies have shared with the US and its other allies in the Middle East that Iran is allegedly planning to use chemical weapons against them. The report claims that Israel has warned US officials that they think Iran is developing technology with which it can use chemical weapons in missiles. Tehran is also exploring other ways of delivering chemical weapons, Israeli intelligence believes.
The report comes in the backdrop of earlier reports about Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urging the Trump to launch a renewed attack on Iran. But as the midterms came close, Trump’s stance on the war in Iran changed significantly.
Also read: Several flights across Europe disrupted after receiving hoax bomb threats
On Monday, the day before polling for the midterms, Trump indicated that peace talks “could happen,” telling Axios in an interview that he is “in no rush” to strike Iran after the midterm elections. Separately, JD Vance said that he has had “good conversations” with Tehran about a potential peace deal.
But Iran has downplayed hopes of a deal in the backdrop of the midterms after the US struck targets on Qeshm Island near the Strait of Hormuz on Monday.
US officials divided on seriousness of Iran’s chemical weapon threat
The New York Times reports US officials are split on the seriousness of the threats conveyed by Israel. Some feel that it could be part of Netanyahu’s alleged ploy to get the US to restart joint strikes on Iran. Others feel that it could indeed be a serious threat.
Also read: Trump jokes he could move to Israel and become their prime minister if Americans get ‘tired of him’
Those who feel that Israel’s intelligence briefing is “unserious” are the officials in the Gulf countries and some in Washington, the report states. Some of the US officials that the NYT spoke to felt that the threat could have some seriousness to it given that there were reports of US planning renewed strikes on Iran after the US midterm elections.
In Israel, Israeli news outlet The Times of Israel, reached out to the administration in Tel Aviv about the specifics of the threat. They declined to provide any details.
“Israel is following closely every threat from the Iranian terror regime, and is ready to confront them,” an official in the Israel administration told The Times of Israel.
