An Israeli source told journalist Itai Blumenthal that President Trump decided to postpone the planned US strike on Iran overnight Friday-Saturday, appearing to want to give Tehran another opportunity to return to negotiations. The source said Israel had prepared for the possibility of joining the strikes if Iran retaliated with missiles.
An Israeli source told journalist Itai Blumenthal on Saturday that President Trump's decision to postpone the planned US strike on Iran overnight Friday-Saturday was driven by a desire to give Tehran another chance to return to negotiations. The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Israel had prepared for the significant American strike and had also made contingency plans to join the operation if Iran retaliated with missile fire toward Israel.
The report follows The Zioneer's earlier bulletin this hour, which cited Israeli security sources confirming that the defense establishment had prepared for the overnight strike, but that Trump chose to postpone. The new source quoted by Blumenthal adds that Trump's motivation appears to be keeping the diplomatic channel open.
The overnight preparation marked a high level of readiness for a potential US-led operation, with Israel on high alert for possible Iranian retaliation. The situation remains fluid, with the window for diplomatic resolution appearing narrow, according to assessments cited in previous reports.
5 developments
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- StrongIsrael reportedly planned major airstrike on Iran, halted by Trump tweet
- DevelopingTrump Cancels Planned Iran Strikes as Geneva Agreement Framework Advances
- DevelopingUS struck Iran overnight, Tehran issued false claim of retaliation, analysis argues
Source and signal
- Open-source intake