Israel to strike Iran again? Netanyahu to brief Trump on possible new military action: Report

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is expected to meet US President Donald Trump on December 29, is likely to brief him on Iran’s alleged expansion of its ballistic missile programme and the need to take action against what Israel sees as a growing threat, NBC News reported on Saturday, citing sources.

According to the report, concern is mounting among Israeli officials that Iran is accelerating production of ballistic missiles. Israeli leaders are preparing to raise the issue with President Trump as part of an effort to push for renewed military action against Iran. NBC cited a person with direct knowledge of the plans and four former US officials who were briefed on the matter.

The development comes just months after Israel and Iran were locked in an almost two-week conflict earlier this year, during which Israel reportedly inflicted significant damage on Iran’s ballistic missile infrastructure.

Sources quoted in the report also said Israeli officials believe Iran is attempting to reconstruct nuclear facilities that were destroyed in US strikes carried out in June during the Israel-Iran war. However, they added that Israel’s more immediate concern is Iran’s alleged efforts to rebuild its ballistic missile production sites and repair damaged air defence systems.

The sources said Netanyahu is expected to argue that Iran’s actions pose a threat not only to Israel but also to the wider region, including US interests. He is also likely to present President Trump with options for possible US participation or assistance in any future military operations against Iran.

What the White House said

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement that both the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Iranian government had “corroborated the United States government’s assessment that Operation Midnight Hammer totally obliterated Iran’s nuclear capabilities.”

“As President Trump has said, if Iran pursued a nuclear weapon, that site would be attacked and wiped out before they even got close,” Kelly said, according to the report.