U.S. Warns Israel To Stop 'Dangerous' Chatter On Natanz Attack

US warns Israel to stop ‘dangerous, detrimental’ chatter on Natanz attack

TOI STAFF and AGENCIES

Washington has conveyed to Israel in no uncertain terms that the “chatter” about its alleged involvement in the blast at the Natanz nuclear facility early this week must stop, warning that it is dangerous and detrimental as well as embarrassing to the Biden administration as it attempts to negotiate a return to the nuclear deal with Tehran, Channel 12 news reported Friday.

The unsourced report said the message was conveyed to Jerusalem through several channels in recent days.

The network further cited unnamed Israeli security officials expressing concern at the uncharacteristic degree to which Israel has allowed itself to be tied to the attack on the nuclear site. The officials questioned whether the increased bluster was an attempt to affect nuclear negotiations in Vienna, or perhaps an effort by the prime minister to use Iran for internal political gain.

Israel has not officially commented on the sabotage at Iran’s main uranium enrichment facility, which an Iranian official has said damaged or destroyed thousands of centrifuges.

But there has been plenty of anonymous confirmation in the Israeli and foreign media by unnamed intelligence officials, with detailed accounts of the bomb attack that reportedly cut off the power supply to centrifuges and caused some of them extensive damage. And officials, from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on down, have hinted at Israeli responsibility.

Iran has directly blamed Israel for the attack and vowed revenge.

Amid the heightened tensions, Israel’s security cabinet was set to meet Sunday for the first time in some two and a half months to discuss recent developments. Meetings of the high-level forum are usually a weekly affair, but have been another casualty of the ongoing dysfunction in the power-sharing government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Benny Gantz.

Channel 13 reported that IDF chief of staff Aviv Kohavi and Mossad head Yossi Cohen will be at Sunday’s meeting, and that ministers will discuss whether to carry out more attacks targeting Iran’s nuclear program or seek calm. The report said Gantz favors an “active approach” on Iran, but that he also fears the chatter on the issue is causing “real damage to the security of the state” — both embarrassing the Americans and making it harder for Iran to restrain itself from retaliating.

Gantz on Monday called for a high-level investigation into recent apparent leaks to the press by Israeli officials regarding attacks on Iran, saying they were “damaging to our troops, to our security and to the interests of the State of Israel.”