Israeli Officials Dial Back Threat to Attack Iran

Israel not ready to attack any time soon

In recent weeks, Israeli officials have emphasized the possibility of attacking Iran, and of having informed the US of their planning to that end. This weekend, Israeli defense officials are looking to revise those comments.

Israel is always on the verge of war with Iran, to hear officials tell it. The reports of them informing the US of this are not unusual. Israeli officials now, however, say that they aren’t in a position to attack Iran any time soon.

Retired Gen. Relik Shafir says it might be impossible to destroy every single Iranian nuclear site all at once in an attack. Of course, Israel has long wanted the US to carry out this attack for them.

“The only air force that can maintain a campaign ins the US Air Force,” Shafir noted. The talk of an imminent attack is an incentive to try to get the US to do it for them, or at least back away from diplomacy to placate Israel.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.