Netanyahu Shares New Intelligence on Iran’s Natanz Site with Trump Amid Doubts Over Airstrike Feasibility
During a meeting on Tuesday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented U.S. President Donald Trump with new intelligence regarding developments at Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility, along with broader information on Iran’s nuclear activities. The expanded session included senior security officials from both countries. However, Israel’s head of public diplomacy, Tzippi Hotovely, later stated that the Natanz issue was not discussed during the meeting, which she described as "excellent," emphasizing the shared goal of preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Israeli officials reported that Jerusalem has identified a significant rehabilitation process underway in Iran’s nuclear program, aided by foreign countries, with full details to be shared with the U.S. in the coming days. A U.S. source confirmed that the issue is known based on internal American intelligence. Meanwhile, Israeli security sources expressed skepticism about the scale of activity at Natanz, disputing claims that thousands of advanced centrifuges had been transferred there. They also questioned the feasibility of striking the site from the air, even with heavy U.S. bombers.
Earlier on Tuesday, Trump downplayed the Natanz threat in a Fox News interview, stating it was "not a big problem" and that Netanyahu was "just trying to be involved." Trump asserted he understands the situation well and prefers to avoid attacking Iranian infrastructure like power plants and bridges, despite having the capability to do so quickly. He highlighted concerns for Iran’s 90 million citizens and warned that Iran knows he would act if they fail to sign agreements. Trump also referenced the killing of Qassem Soleimani as a significant setback for Iran and credited U.S. airstrikes with halting Iran’s nuclear progress. On the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said the U.S. controls the blockade and will not tolerate broken agreements by Iran.
