Israel privately warns Iran is considering use of chemical weapons: report
Israeli intelligence has warned the US that it believes Iran is considering using chemical weapons against its enemies, according to a report — and America officials are divided on how to interpret the claim.The report in the New York Times, which cites US and Middle East officials, Iran is moving rapidly to develop the capability to put chemical agents on missiles to attack Israel or US allies in the Middle East.The most recent warnings to the US have reportedly seen Israeli officials go as far as to suggest that the chemical weapons threat is far more urgent than the nuclear threat in Iran, the officials told the Times.Not everyone in the US security establishment is convinced, the sources reported.
Some believe the threat is real and should be taken seriously.Others see the warning as a part of a pressure campaign by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to entice the Trump administration to restart the war.Netanyahu is currently fighting for his political survival after failing to secure the majority in last week’s Israeli elections, with the prime minister reportedly urging President Trump to renew strikes in Iran.
It remains to be seen how urgent the threat really is.Israel’s Home Front Command is not including chemical weapons preparations as part of its civilian safety drills this week.The Israeli military has yet to respond to the Times’ report.
Iran has repeatedly denied that it has been developing chemical weapons after publicly announcing that it had dismantled such a program in 2003.Iran also has maintained that its nuclear program is only for civilian energy purposes.Iran remains one of the few countries who have been targeted by chemical weapons.
During the Iran-Iraq War, dictator Saddam Hussein fired nerve gas over the border, killing up to 20,000 people and causing long-standing health problems for thousands of Iranians.The Israeli intel is reminiscent of Netanyahu’s warnings prior to the war that Iran was just days away from deve...