Israel has ramped up its covert attacks in Iran and is largely leaving the United States out of the loop, CNN reports.
While the current and former Washington officials cited by the report say there is little probability of a conventional war breaking out between Iran and Israel, the risk of a miscalculation spiraling out of control is higher than usual.
“The more the Israelis push, especially if the Iranians decide [the deal] is dead, the more the Iranians are going to push back,” said Jonathan Panikoff, former deputy national intelligence officer for the Near East at the National Intelligence Council, referring to the Iran nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Officials are also concerned about what appeared to be the Iranian government beginning to link recent attacks attributed to Israel to the survival of its regime, according to CNN.
Meanwhile, Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday about U.S. President Joe Biden’s upcoming visit to Israel. Lapid also briefed Blinken on his upcoming trip to Turkey and joint anti-terror measures with Ankara to thwart Iranian attacks on Israelis there. JNS
I’m not sure just how much Israel is leaving the Biden administration in the dark about its operations In Iran, but I do know that the Obama administration left Israel in the dark about its secret negotiations with Iran. And Biden was VP then.