WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the possibility of a major military operation against Iran last week, including potential strikes on Iranian military and nuclear targets, according to a report by US news website Axios.
The report said Netanyahu expressed concern over Israeli intelligence assessments related to Iran’s nuclear programme. Israel is also concerned about a possible Iranian uranium enrichment facility at Pickaxe Mountain.
According to Axios, Trump has not made a final decision on whether to resume military strikes against Iran. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and some officials at US Central Command reportedly favour renewed attacks, while several of Trump’s advisers support continuing economic sanctions for now.
The report also said Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir and US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Dan Caine held discussions regarding potential strikes against Iran.
The White House, however, denied the Axios report, saying Trump had indicated that he would not attack Iran before the midterm elections.