Israel weighing strike on Iran without US support - NBC

Israel is considering a military strike on Iran without US backing, NBC News reported on Thursday, as nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran are set to resume Sunday in Muscat, where US envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to meet Iran’s foreign minister.

Israel has grown more serious about unilateral action as Washington inches closer to a preliminary deal with Tehran, which includes provisions on uranium enrichment that Israel views as unacceptable, according to five sources cited by NBC.

“I just think maybe they don’t want to make a deal. What can I say?” President Trump said in a podcast interview earlier this week. “And maybe they do. So what does that mean? There’s nothing final.”

Michael Knights of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy told NBC that the recent US evacuation of nonessential personnel from the region was intended to signal to Iran that Trump might not stand in the way of an Israeli strike. “It’s about trying to get Iran to respect the president’s wishes,” he said.

NBC reported that while Israel would prefer US intelligence or logistical support, no American involvement is currently planned.

"While Israel would most likely prefer US military and intelligence support for strikes — especially against Iranian nuclear facilities — it showed in October that it can do a lot alone," NBC wrote.