All three major Hebrew TV networks reported that the IDF is gearing up for renewed conflict with Iran as the ceasefire talks between the United States and the Islamic Republic collapsed, in what appeared to be a coordinated leak by defense officials on Sunday.
The reported preparations come less than a week after a two-week ceasefire brokered by Pakistan went into effect, and less than a day after negotiations in Islamabad between the US and Iran failed to produce a deal to permanently end the war in the Middle East.
Earlier on Sunday, the Ynet news site reported that IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir instructed the military to move to a “heightened state of readiness” and to prepare for a resumption of hostilities with Iran.
Then Channel 12 news reported in the evening, without citing any sources, that the IDF is not only gearing up for renewed conflict with Iran, but it is also preparing for a potential Iranian surprise attack on Israel.
The Kan public broadcaster, meanwhile, cited a “senior defense official” as saying that “Israel is interested in renewing the war against Iran,” after the war ended “too early, without sufficient pressure being applied on Iran regarding the nuclear issue and ballistic missiles.”
The report said Israel was awaiting US President Donald Trump’s decision to renew the conflict, at which point the military will attempt to pressure Iran into giving up its nuclear program by striking its energy infrastructure.
Channel 13 similarly reported that the IDF’s level of alert has been raised “significantly” and that Zamir instructed the military “to prepare for an immediate resumption of fighting and ordered the initiation of combat readiness procedures.”
The IDF has not commented on the reports, but last week, while visiting southern Lebanon, Zamir said that the military is “prepared to return to combat [in Iran] with full force if required at any given moment.”
Additionally, Trump and his advisers are also looking at resuming limited military strikes in Iran in addition to the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz as a way to break a stalemate in peace talks, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, citing officials and people familiar with the matter.
Officials told the Journal that Trump is less likely to restart a full-fledged military campaign due to his distaste for drawn-out wars. The report said Trump may impose a more temporary blockade on Iran while he tries to compel allies to launch armed escorts for ships through the strait.
In a clear sign that diplomatic efforts were at a dead end, the American military said on Sunday it will begin to enforce a naval blockade on Iran starting on Monday, following orders by US President Donald Trump.
The US military said the blockade of Iranian ports would begin on Monday at 10 a.m. ET.
Iran has effectively imposed its own blockade on the key waterway since the US and Israel began striking the country on February 28, a move that has caused mass global economic harm, given that the strait is a chokepoint for about 20 percent of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.
No comments:
Post a Comment