NBC News reported on Saturday, citing Israeli officials, that Netanyahu intends to present plans for renewed attacks on Iran to Trump during his trip to the United States this month. According to these officials, Iran has accelerated the rebuilding of its missile capabilities and could achieve the ability to produce three thousand missiles per year.According to the American media outlet "NBC News," citing Israeli officials, Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, is expected to meet with Donald Trump, the President of the United States, at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on December 29.
According to these officials, Mr. Netanyahu is likely to try during this meeting to convince the U.S. President that Iran's ballistic missile program is a threat that requires immediate action.According to these officials, part of Mr. Netanyahu's argument will be that Iran's nuclear program is a threat not only to Israel but also to the region and U.S. interests. According to them, the Israeli Prime Minister will present options to Mr. Trump regarding the potential level of U.S. involvement in these attacks.Netanyahu's Potential Options for TrumpAccording to a source familiar with Israel's plans, Israeli officials provided Donald Trump with four military action options before the June attacks on Iran. According to him, these officials placed these plans on a coffee table in the Oval Office of the White House and presented them to Mr. Trump.
The first plan was based on unilateral action by Israel. The second plan involved limited U.S. support, the third was joint U.S.-Israeli operations against Iran, and the fourth was for the U.S. to attack Iran alone. Mr. Trump ultimately chose the third plan, namely joint operations.According to this informed source, Mr. Netanyahu is likely to present similar plans to the U.S. President during his meeting with Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago.According to "NBC News," this issue arises amid tensions between Israeli and American officials over Mr. Netanyahu's approach to the ceasefire in Gaza and the transition to its second phase.According to two former Israeli officials, if this tension continues, Mr. Trump may have less inclination toward renewed military action against Iran.According to U.S. officials and a source familiar with Israel's plans, Iran's capability in producing ballistic missiles, if not contained, could reach the production of three thousand missiles per year.
According to Israeli officials, Iran's production capability and the number of ballistic missiles it can deploy in each attack are Israel's main concerns.Ali Vaez, the Iran Project Director at the International Crisis Group, told the "New York Times" last month that Iranian officials have told him that missile factories are working "around the clock" and "if another war occurs, they hope to fire 2,000 missiles at once instead of the 500 missiles they fired over 12 days, to overwhelm Israel's defenses."
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Iran is Preparing for the Next War"Danny Citrinowicz, Senior Researcher on Iran and the Shia Axis at Israel's Institute for National Security Studies, stated in an article published on Saturday in the newspaper "Israel Hayom" that Israel's operational achievements in the 12-day war with Iran have not turned into a real strategic victory. Because, on one hand, the leadership of the Islamic Republic does not believe that Iran was defeated in this war, and on the other hand, Tehran believes that another round of confrontation with Israel is inevitable and it's only a matter of time, which is why it has focused specifically on rebuilding its missile arsenal.According to this researcher and former Israeli army official, six months after the 12-day war and despite Israel's significant achievements, it seems that no fundamental change has occurred.
Iran is rebuilding its missile array, according to some reports, it has taken steps to revive its nuclear program, and it still refuses any agreement that limits its nuclear program or removes enrichment from Iranian soil. Most importantly, Tehran is preparing for another war with Israel and is trying to learn from the lessons of the previous round.According to Mr. Citrinowicz, another issue is that, although the Iranian regime is grappling with various internal challenges, there is no opposition that threatens its future. The Iranian government still controls society and has even prevented widespread protests again by retreating from strict enforcement of the hijab and similar measures.
This Israeli researcher, referring to his country's achievements during the 12-day war--including the elimination of high-ranking military officials and nuclear scientists, weakening air defenses, attacking missile systems, targeting nuclear facilities, and dominating Iran's airspace--wrote: "However, operational successes did not translate into strategic gains. Because from Tehran's perspective, Iran essentially did not lose the war. Iran not only managed to continue launching missiles until the last day of the battle and stand against Israel and America, but Israel also failed in what Tehran perceived as an attempt to overthrow the Iranian regime.
