A report that the US and Israel are planning a military drill to prepare to strike Iranian nuclear sites if the negotiations for a new nuclear agreement fail has spooked the Islamic Republic. The news has led a top Iranian military official to warn that: “Providing conditions for military commanders to test Iranian missiles with real targets will cost the aggressors a heavy price.” The warning came in a tweet on Saturday from Nournews, an Iranian news publication connected to Iran’s security apparatus.
The warning also comes on the heels of reports that Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz during his meetings in Washington on Friday presented US officials with a timeline for its preparations to attack Iran’s nuclear sites, including a deadline for such an attack. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who Gantz met with for discussions on Iran’s nuclear progress, did not object, according to Israeli reports citing an unnamed senior defense official.
Israel reportedly will coordinate any such attack with the United States.
The New York Times reported over the weekend that Israeli officials consulted with the Biden administration twice on Jerusalem consulted with Washington before launching two covert strikes against Iran, one in September against a missile base and one in June against an Iranian factory building nuclear centrifuges. The Times also reported that two months ago Biden asked national security adviser Jake Sullivan to review a revised plan to take military action against Iran if the diplomatic effort failed.