Israel may find itself in a situation where it has to confront Iran without US support.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu raised this possibility amid growing concerns in Jerusalem about US President Donald Trump's position, The Jerusalem Post reports.
According to Netanyahu, Israel does not rule out a scenario in which it will have to act alone.
„We may have to strike without US support, despite all the costs involved. "We don't want to go that far, but we know we are capable of such a step," the Israeli prime minister said during a security cabinet meeting.
Israel is increasingly concerned that Donald Trump may not approve even a limited response to possible new Iranian attacks. The reason given is the US president's desire to reach a diplomatic agreement with Tehran.
During a phone call with Netanyahu after the recent Iranian missile strike, Trump did not forbid Israel from responding, but made it clear that he expected restrained action because "a deal is close".
The Jerusalem Post claims that Israel has been preparing a much larger military response after the Iranian attack. The plan called for the use of approximately 50 warplanes and strikes against a wide range of targets in Iran.
However, during his conversation with Netanyahu, Trump said that Tehran had signaled a ceasefire and expressed opposition to a large-scale operation. Ultimately, the planned strike was called off.
Instead, the Israeli military carried out limited strikes on several targets, including radar systems, air defense batteries, weapons production facilities, and a petrochemical plant.
According to The Jerusalem Post, the Israeli leadership is cautious about the prospects of a new agreement between the US and Iran.
Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces Eyal Zamir said during a cabinet meeting that the military considers virtually any agreement with Tehran to be unfavorable.
The previous day, the US president said that Israel had no choice but to agree to the US-Iran agreement, since Trump personally makes the final decisions. The Financial Times spoke by phone with the White House chief, where he made it clear whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would be able to block the US-Iran deal.
Earlier, during a phone call, the US president sharply criticized Netanyahu for escalating the conflict in Lebanon. During the call, Trump called Netanyahu “crazy“ and accused him of ungratefulness. Trump also claimed that he helped Netanyahu avoid prison, possibly referring to his support during Netanyahu's corruption trial.