WASHINGTON, May 21 – U.S.-gathered intelligence suggests that Israel is preparing to strike Iran’s nuclear program, CNN has reported, citing multiple U.S. officials.
The report on Tuesday also cited U.S. sources as saying that it was unclear whether Israel had made a final decision to carry out the strikes, and that within the U.S. government, there was disagreement about whether the Israeli side would ultimately decide to conduct the strikes.
The likelihood of an Israeli strike on an Iranian nuclear facility “has gone up significantly in recent months,” the CNN report quoted a source familiar with the intelligence as saying. The source said that the odds would be higher if the United States reached a deal with Iran that did not remove all of the country’s uranium.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has been negotiating with Iran for a diplomatic deal on its nuclear program. Earlier on Tuesday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei described U.S. demands on Iran’s uranium enrichment as “excessive and outrageous,” voicing doubt over the talks’ prospect.
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