Israeli intelligence has told the United States that Iran may be weighing the use of chemical weapons against its adversaries, according to a new report. American officials, however, remain divided over the credibility and meaning of the warning.
The New York Times, citing US and Middle Eastern officials, reported that Iran is allegedly accelerating efforts to develop a way to load chemical agents onto missiles capable of striking Israel or American partners across the region.
In the latest briefings, Israeli officials reportedly characterized the chemical weapons threat as more immediate than the danger posed by Iran’s nuclear program, the officials told the Times.
But the assessment has not received unanimous support within the US national security establishment.
Some officials reportedly believe the intelligence points to a genuine and serious threat.
Others suspect the warnings may be part of a pressure campaign by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, aimed at persuading the Trump administration to resume military action against Iran.
Netanyahu is fighting to preserve his political position after failing to win a majority in last week’s Israeli elections. The prime minister has reportedly been pressing President Trump to authorize renewed strikes on Iran.
For now, the true urgency of the alleged chemical weapons threat remains unclear.
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Israel’s Home Front Command has not included chemical weapons preparations in this week’s civilian emergency drills.
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The Israeli military has not yet commented on The New York Times report.
Iran has repeatedly rejected accusations that it is pursuing chemical weapons, saying publicly that the program was dismantled in 2003.
Tehran has also consistently insisted that its nuclear activities are intended solely for peaceful, civilian energy production.
Iran is among the relatively small number of countries to have suffered a chemical weapons attack. During the Iran-Iraq War, Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein used nerve gas against Iranian targets, killing as many as 20,000 people and leaving thousands more with lasting health problems.
The latest Israeli intelligence assessment echoes earlier warnings from Netanyahu, who claimed before the war that Iran was only days away from producing a nuclear weapon.
Those warnings helped form part of the rationale for launching Operation Epic Fury, a campaign that included extensive strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Trump has so far resisted calls to attack Iran while negotiations with Tehran’s delegation continue. The president has nevertheless warned that he would “finish the job” if diplomatic efforts collapse.
