“According to Axios, Tel Aviv Israel warned the administration of US President Donald Trump about the possible preparation of an attack on Israel by Iran under the guise of exercises.”, — write: www.pravda.com.ua
flag of Israel, photo by Getty Images Source: Axios citing sources
Details: The sources said that while the data collected only indicated the movement of forces inside Iran, the risk tolerance threshold in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) after the surprise invasion by Hamas on October 7, 2023, became much lower.
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One source told Axios that Israeli intelligence had raised similar concerns six weeks ago, after detecting the movement of Iranian missiles. But this did not lead to consequences.
“The chances of an Iranian attack are less than 50%, but no one is ready to take the risk and just say it’s just a drill,” one Israeli source said.
US intelligence currently has no indication that an Iranian attack is imminent, a US source told Axios.
Israel’s Chief of General Staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, called the head of the US Central Command, Admiral Brad Cooper, on Saturday and told him that Israel is concerned about the missile drills that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) started a few days ago, sources told the publication.
They said Zamir told Cooper that recent Iranian missile movements and other operational moves could be a cover for a surprise attack. Zamir called on American and Israeli forces to closely coordinate their defense preparations.
Cooper was in Tel Aviv on Sunday, where he met with Zamir and senior IDF officials to discuss the situation.
Axios’ sources told Axios that the biggest threat is a war between Israel and Iran as a result of miscalculation, where each side believes the other is planning an attack and tries to preempt it.
The newspaper adds that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to meet with Trump on December 29 in Miami.
Netanyahu wants to discuss Iran’s efforts to restore its ballistic missile capabilities and the possibility of another strike on Iran in 2026, the publication said.
Israeli sources told Axios that Israeli intelligence is seeing early signs that Iran is resuming its missile buildup with more motivation than the Iranians had after the 12-day war in June.
Israeli sources also noted that at the end of the war, Iran was left with 1,500 missiles, up from the 3,000 it previously had, and 200 launchers, up from the 400 it previously had.
The Iranians have begun to take steps to rebuild their forces, but have not yet returned to their pre-war levels, Israeli sources added.
Israeli military intelligence and the Mossad do not believe the pace of Iran’s rebuilding forces warrants military action in the next two to three months, the sources said, but they stress the issue may become more pressing later this year.