Israel completes preparations for renewed confrontation with Iran: Report

Israel has completed preparations for a renewed military confrontation with Iran, while the US military’s Central Command chief Brad Cooper has presented President Donald Trump with options for resuming attacks, the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported Saturday. It said the Israeli military had finalized its defensive and offensive preparations for a possible resumption of hostilities, but the decision to return to war remained with Trump as negotiations between Washington and Tehran continued.

Citing unnamed political sources, it reported that Israel was approaching another round of fighting with Iran. Israeli political and military leaders, however, do not control the decision to launch the confrontation, which hinges on whether Trump pursues an agreement with Tehran or resumes attacks in coordination with Israel. The preparations have gone beyond planning, according to the report. The Israeli air force has conducted flights involving dozens of fighter jets and refueling aircraft in Syrian and Iraqi airspace toward Iran’s borders, rehearsing potential attack routes.

The newspaper said the exercises had taken place more than once. Cooper presented military options to Trump during a meeting attended by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine, Yedioth Ahronoth reported, adding that no decision had been made on resuming combat. Citing media reports, the newspaper said 10 US military transport aircraft had arrived at Israeli air bases in recent days as part of an airlift delivering military equipment to the region.

The deliveries coincided with continued US force reinforcements and preparations for a possible resumption of military operations, it added. According to the sources cited by the newspaper, a key dilemma is the absence of clear US strategic objectives for a potential operation. They said aerial attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities, missile systems and military capabilities would not necessarily bring down its government or change its policies.

The sources suggested Washington could use military threats to pressure Tehran into accepting an agreement on terms more favorable to the US. They argued that any agreement failing to address Israeli concerns about Iran’s nuclear program, missile systems and armament would leave unresolved the threats Israel says it faces. The sources also warned that fighting could spread to Lebanon if Hezbollah joined the confrontation, as it did previously.

That development could prolong the war and place additional pressure on Israel’s air defenses and interceptor missile stocks, they said. Alongside the military preparations, the newspaper cited reports of progress in indirect US-Iranian contacts mediated by Qatar, aimed at paving the way for direct negotiations. Those discussions would cover Iran’s nuclear program, the Strait of Hormuz and economic incentives for Tehran, with China and Russia potentially serving as guarantors of an agreement, according to the report.

The newspaper concluded that Israel’s central challenge extended beyond preparing another attack to ensuring that any military action served its long-term security interests, with clearly defined objectives, conditions for ending hostilities and intended outcomes. The war began with US and Israeli attacks against Iran on Feb. 28, before a ceasefire was reached in April. Fighting between Washington and Tehran resumed in July amid stalled negotiations.