Israeli expects US to join strikes on Iran: Report

JERUSALEM/ISTANBUL

Israel expects the US to join its ongoing attacks on Iran, local media reported.

A senior unnamed Israeli official said assessments in Tel Aviv indicate that US President Donald Trump is expected to approve the involvement of American forces in the strikes on Iran, said Israeli public broadcaster KAN.

“Trump would want to be remembered as someone who took part, not someone who stood by,” he added.

The official said that “without the US, we can only inflict limited damage on the Fordow nuclear facility.”

Israel’s Channel 13 noted that changes in Trump’s stance could signal his intent to join the campaign.

It also reported that Israel is preparing for a potential strike on Iran’s Fordow nuclear facility, one of its most fortified and significant sites.

Fordow is on the Israeli army’s target list and Israel will decide when to strike, officials said.

They acknowledged, however, that the quality of the attack will be lower if the US does not join in.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz addressed the matter Tuesday during a security assessment, noting ongoing direct communication between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer on one side and Trump on the other.

The Israel Hayom daily emphasized the importance of US participation in the offensive, noting that “Israel has targeted most Iranian nuclear sites except the most critical, Fordow, which is buried inside a mountain 90 meters (295 feet) deep.”

It added that only the US possesses the B-2 bomber capable of penetrating and destroying such deeply buried targets. The B-2 is a long-range, multi-role bomber capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear weapons.

In the same context, Netanyahu said later that “the threat we face now is Iran. It’s either us or them.”

“We’re going to see a different Middle East, a reality we haven’t seen until now,” he added.

Regional tensions have escalated since Friday, when Israel launched coordinated airstrikes on multiple sites across Iran, including military and nuclear facilities, prompting Tehran to launch retaliatory strikes.

Israeli authorities said that at least 24 people have been killed and hundreds injured in Iranian missile attacks since then.

Iran said at least 224 people have been killed and over 1,000 wounded in the Israeli assault.