Iranupdated 2h ago2 min read
Israel Tells U.S. Iran May Use Chemical Weapons, Netanyahu Pushes Trump
“The drums of war are once again sounding across the Middle East.”
“From pulpits at Friday prayers to street rallies, Iranian clerics and officials are increasingly urging the country’s leaders”
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Israel provided the United States information suggesting Iran may use chemical weapons. U.S. officials express concern and skepticism about the chemical weapons claim.
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Chemical weapons claims
Israel provided the United States with information about the possibility that the Islamic Republic may use chemical weapons, and some American officials met the claim with concern while others met it with serious skepticism. Israeli intelligence agencies told their American counterparts that Tehran is developing the technology necessary to mount chemical weapons on missiles or to covertly transfer them to Israel or other countries.
Some American officials believe Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to urge Donald Trump to resume large-scale military operations against Iran, while other American officials believe the information should be taken seriously given recent warnings about the possibility of Iranian government attacks on American interests. Iran denied possessing chemical weapons and previously described the accusations as part of a “psychological war by Israel and Netanyahu.”
Competing US assessments
American and regional officials described a divide in assessments after Israel’s presentation, with some officials treating the information as a security signal requiring caution and others viewing it as potentially part of a political move led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel informed Washington in the past two weeks with data indicating Iran is examining the possibility of using chemical weapons, and the newspaper said the scenario was presented as a threat deserving greater attention than Tehran’s efforts to develop its nuclear capabilities.
Iran’s state television aired guidelines for dealing with a nuclear explosion, including procedures to protect against the blast wave and radiation contamination, and it urged residents to shelter inside buildings for at least 24 hours. Trita Parsi wrote on X that “Israel has for years carried forward a propaganda line about Iran’s nuclear program to create a crisis between the United States and Iran,” and he said Israel “has also raised voices about the claim of chemical weapons in Iran.”
Nuclear stakes and diplomacy
American and other diplomats are working to reach an agreement with Tehran that would include reopening the Strait of Hormuz, addressing Iran’s nuclear program, and preventing further military operations. American officials said U.S. intelligence agencies have assessed the level of threat to Americans in the Middle East and several other countries at the highest level since the start of the war in Esfand 1404 (early 2024).
“The atomic bomb is in Israel, but the inspectors are in Iran.”
Mohsen Rezaei responded to America’s reply to its latest proposal by writing on X: “America’s response to Iran’s rights and demands was not convincing, and they must respond to Iran’s seven demands completely and explicitly and implement them; only in this case will the Strait of Hormuz be opened.” Mehr News Agency quoted Iran’s Foreign Ministry Institute for Political and International Studies head saying that “The atomic bomb is in Israel, but the inspectors are in Iran,” and he called it an indictment of the international system and the credibility of the Non-Proliferation Treaty.