Israel Accuses Iran of Preparing Chemical Attacks; U.S. and Gulf Officials Skeptical, NYT Reports

Israel has provided the United States with intelligence indicating that Iran is considering the use of chemical weapons against its adversaries, and has shared some of that information with officials from Gulf countries, the New York Times reported on Tuesday. According to the newspaper, some American officials and several Gulf officials have received the information with skepticism, suspecting that Israel is trying to push the United States and its partners back into a more intense phase of the war.

Some U.S. officials describe the effort as a “pressure campaign” led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to convince the Trump administration to “return to major combat operations against Iran.” Others, the Times reported, believe the threats should be “taken seriously,” given what they describe as numerous recent warnings about Iranian preparations to attack U.S. interests.

The newspaper noted that in recent years the United States has stated in its annual unclassified intelligence assessments that Iran “likely aims” to continue its research and development of chemical weapons. U.S. officials told the Times that American agencies estimate the threat to Americans in the Middle East and several other countries has reached its highest level since the war began in February.

For some U.S. officials, the new Israeli intelligence recalls erroneous information gathered by the United States in 2002 about Iraqi weapons of mass destruction, which preceded the 2003 invasion. The Times reported that Iraq had by then largely abandoned or frozen its nuclear, chemical and biological programs, but that U.S. intelligence agencies assured the White House of President George W. Bush that their assessment that Iraq possessed such weapons was “ironclad.”

People briefed on the new intelligence reportedly disagreed on how rapidly and effectively Iran could deploy a chemical weapon. A regional official told the Times that Israel had presented Gulf states with claims that Iran was working to make its chemical weapons operational. Israeli officials did not provide any evidence, the newspaper reported, but shared their assessments with their counterparts. Several of those officials doubted that Iran was developing plans to use chemical weapons, and believe Israel is trying to push the United States and its partners toward a more intense phase of the war, the Times said, claims that weigh the assertions before accepting them (Proverbs 18:17).

A U.S. official said only that Donald Trump would ensure the United States and its allies are protected “against any potential threat.” The CIA declined to comment. The report comes amid escalating rhetoric between Tehran and Washington, while negotiations remain at a standstill.

According to U.S. officials cited by the New York Times, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has a plan calling for strikes against Iran as soon as Wednesday, after the U.S. midterm elections and when three aircraft carriers will be in the region.

Source: Read the original report