According to Axios, quoting three senior Israeli officials, Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, reactivated task forces focused on Iran’s nuclear program two weeks ago.
According to the report, this task force comprises members of Israel’s defense establishment, foreign ministry, and intelligence community. They are working under the National Security Council’s direction and a team led by Mossad to scrutinize Iran’s nuclear program, especially its potential weaponization activities.
Axios, quoting an Israeli official, reported that another team led by Israel’s domestic intelligence and security service, Shin Bet, is responsible for preventing Iranian regime infiltration operations in Israeli society, which have increased over the past year.
Two former Israeli officials involved in this process said Netanyahu had not seriously addressed Iran’s nuclear issue since returning to power in December 2022, initially focusing on judicial reforms and later becoming entangled in the Gaza conflict.
Axios wrote, quoting these officials, that some senior former Israeli defense officials close to Netanyahu, having obtained new information about Iran’s nuclear activities in recent months, have expressed their concerns to the Prime Minister and his team, warning against neglecting this issue.
Two other Israeli officials and two American officials told Axios that Israel and the United States are concerned that Iran might intensify its nuclear weaponization efforts in the weeks leading up to the U.S. presidential election.
These officials also believe that Iranian leaders might attempt to use the transitional period after the U.S. elections to achieve a nuclear weapon.
An American official, citing U.S. intelligence community reports, stated that Iran is not yet pursuing a nuclear weapon, but its provocative nuclear activities in recent months have created many challenges.
It is said that Iran’s nuclear program was discussed in recent meetings between Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in Washington with White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration has repeatedly assured that Iran will “never acquire a nuclear weapon.”
In this context, two teams from the United States and Israel are set to hold a joint meeting in July to discuss Iran and its regime.
