The sources added that even after American military officials discussed the possibility of supporting… Israeli response With intelligence or air strikes, Tel Aviv did not provide Washington with details of the anticipated strike.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant last Sunday evening, and a former official and two current officials familiar with the call said that they discussed the possible response, but not Israel’s final decision on what it can do and when.
Reply options
Israeli officials met on Sunday to discuss response options, according to statements by American officials to NBC News.
American officials said they did not believe that Israel She has made a final decision on the details of her response. The officials said the options still under study relate to Iran’s military and intelligence infrastructure, air defenses and energy facilities.
Officials clarified that Gallant and Austin did not discuss nuclear facilities as potential targets.
Support Israel
And after it was launched Iran Nearly 200 ballistic missiles launched at Israel Last week, US military officials discussed options for joining Israel in its response to Iran, according to US officials familiar with the discussions.
The two officials said that the United States has long supported Israel with intelligence information, and this support could continue during Israeli retaliatory strikes against Iran.
He added that senior US military officials also discussed conducting very limited strikes against Iranian targets. They noted that strikes inside Iran were discussed, as well as strikes on targets outside Iran.
The officials explained that the United States may target Iranian assets at sea, or attempt to disrupt Iranian military assistance to proxies in the region by striking sites. Iranian Revolutionary Guard Which supports armed groups in Yemen or Syria.
Three American officials expected that the United States would not directly support the Israeli response, but would instead issue strong sanctions against Iran.
Many surprises for the White House
The Axios website had quoted American officials as saying that the Biden administration had been surprised several times recently by Israeli military or intelligence operations.
In some cases, the United States was not consulted or notified in advance, or was notified in advance that Israeli aircraft were already en route to carry out an air strike somewhere in the country. The Middle East.
The Israelis did not inform the Biden administration in advance of the assassination of the Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh In Tehran, an operation that came several days after the Israeli Prime Minister was informed Benjamin Netanyahu President Biden in the Oval Office said he will take steps to make progress toward reaching an agreement with agitation To release the hostages it holds and establish a ceasefire in Gaza.
The United States was also not aware of Israel’s plans to detonate devices.Pager“And the wireless communication devices used by Hezbollah members in Lebanon and the assassination of the party’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, in Beirut.
American officials said that the Minister of Defense Lloyd Austin He was angry when his Israeli counterpart told him Yoav Galant By assassination Nasrallah Minutes before Israeli planes dropped their bombs over Beirut.
