US Sends Unusual Message to Israel: Strikes in Iran Will Be Carried Out Only by Us

Against the backdrop of Israeli Air Force preparations for strikes in Iran, Kan News reported Thursday evening that the United States had made clear to Israel that any strikes in Iran would be carried out by the Americans alone, in response to the downing of the helicopter and in an effort to advance the negotiations. A senior Israeli official said, "We received a clear message not to intervene. The Americans want the current confrontation not to spread to additional countries in the Middle East, since they have not yet given up on the negotiations and think this is the way to make the Iranians give up the nuclear program."

As a result, the IDF is preparing for the possibility that the Americans will later give a "green light" and, in effect, return to the framework of Operation "Roar of the Lion." Alert levels in Israel are at their highest as part of the preparations for an American strike in Iran tonight and out of concern over an Iranian response toward Israel and countries in the region. Against this background, Kan News reported Thursday evening that one country in the region prevented Israel from using its airspace during the Air Force airstrikes this week. The move came as a surprise to senior Israeli officials, who believed that, as in previous confrontations with Iran, there would be cooperation between the countries. According to a source familiar with the matter, this was a decision made at a high level in that country, which was perceived in Israel as a clear political message.

At the same time, Channel 13 News reported that in discussions held in Israel in recent days, there was an assessment that if an agreement between the United States and Iran is not signed in the near future, the chance of a return to full-scale fighting in the coming weeks will rise significantly. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a security consultation this evening, and yesterday he conducted a telephone situation assessment. In the afternoon, the American president said that the United States would strike Iran with great force again tonight. He claimed that "Tehran's defense arrays, including the navy, air force and radar and air defense systems, along with most of its offensive capabilities, no longer exist." He stressed that in the "not too distant future" the United States would take control of the "oil island" Kharg, and of additional oil and gas infrastructure facilities in the country.