U.S. intelligence agencies have assessed that Israel is making concrete preparations for a potential military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, CNN reported, citing multiple sources familiar with the matter. The revelations come amid heightened tensions in the Middle East and stalled international efforts to revive a nuclear agreement with Tehran.
According to officials briefed on the intelligence, Israel has ramped up the movement of strategic military assets, including aircraft and missile systems, and conducted drills specifically designed to simulate long-range precision strikes—signaling a higher level of operational readiness.
“The level of activity we’re seeing points to something more than routine,” said one U.S. official. Another senior intelligence source told CNN that Israeli planners have mapped out several scenarios, including limited strikes aimed at uranium enrichment sites and broader operations targeting Iran’s military infrastructure.
Israeli officials have neither confirmed nor denied the planning, maintaining a policy of strategic ambiguity. However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly warned in public statements that Israel will not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons, and has hinted that time is running out for diplomacy.
The news comes just weeks after Iran made significant advancements in its uranium enrichment program, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Tehran now reportedly possesses enough highly enriched uranium for several nuclear weapons, although it has not taken clear steps toward weaponization.
The Biden administration has expressed concern about the growing likelihood of conflict but insists it remains committed to a diplomatic resolution. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently reaffirmed that “all options are on the table” to prevent Iran from developing nuclear arms, while also urging restraint from all parties.
The U.S. has reportedly increased intelligence sharing with Israel and regional allies in recent weeks, and CENTCOM forces in the Middle East have been placed on heightened alert as a precaution.
Meanwhile, Iran has warned that any attack on its nuclear facilities would be met with “immediate and crushing retaliation.” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani called the reports of an Israeli strike plan “psychological warfare,” but also reiterated that Iran is prepared to defend itself.
Analysts caution that a direct military strike could have far-reaching consequences. “An Israeli attack on Iran would risk a major regional war, possibly drawing in U.S. forces, Hezbollah, and destabilizing oil markets,” said Karim Sadjadpour, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
While diplomatic backchannels remain open, hopes for a new nuclear agreement appear dim. The original 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) collapsed after the Trump administration’s withdrawal in 2018, and efforts to revive it under President Biden have stalled.
As Israel weighs its next steps, regional actors and global powers are watching closely. For now, the specter of a preemptive strike—once a distant contingency—is becoming an increasingly plausible reality.
Source: CNN
