In a meeting held between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the administration reportedly decided to support Israeli strikes against the Iranian missile programme if the talks fail, according to reports.
The discussions between senior US military and intelligence officials were on the possibility of supporting a new round of Israeli strikes on Iran, according to CBS news.
Trump reportedly gave Netanyahu the green light to launch an attack, while the US security establishment will provide logistical assistance for an attack and build up forces in the region. Trump authorised Netanyahu to attack the nuclear facilities if the talks fail, and the US will provide "aid".
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The US discussions focused on US assistance, which included providing aerial refuelling for Israeli aircraft and the issue of obtaining permission to fly over countries along the potential route.
It is unclear as to which countries would grant the US permission to refuel Israeli aircraft in preparation for a possible attack. Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates have all publicly announced that they will not allow their airspace to be used for any attacks on Iran or attacks by Iran on any other country.
Meanwhile, Israeli media Ynet quoted diplomatic sources who said Washington could be stalling for the time being, like before the war in June last year, to set a trap for the Iranians. This will help it gain international legitimacy while preparing a well-oiled war machine that will allow it to deal a hard blow to Iran.
While the Americans are giving negotiations a chance, they are also quite skeptical that a good agreement will come out of it. However, the Americans do not intend to let the Iranians bully them, and if Tehran drags out time and does not show seriousness in the negotiations, the US will move to military action.
