Israel has shared intelligence with the United States claiming that Iran is considering the use of against its adversaries, triggering alarm among some American officials while drawing deep scepticism from others, The New York Times reported.
According to the NYT, have told their American counterparts that Iran is moving rapidly to develop the technology needed to deploy chemical weapons through missiles or smuggle them into Israel and other countries for use in attacks.
The intelligence has also been shared with officials in Gulf countries. However, several regional officials questioned the credibility of the claims, suspecting that Israeli Prime Minister ‘s government was attempting to persuade the United States and its partners to resume large-scale military operations against Iran.
The differing assessments have exposed divisions among American officials over the seriousness of the alleged threat, particularly as Washington and Tehran explore the possibility of a diplomatic breakthrough while preparing for a potential resumption of hostilities.
Israeli officials have portrayed Iran’s alleged chemical weapons threat as more urgent than its ambitions to develop nuclear weapons during recent conversations with US intelligence agencies and other officials over the past two weeks, the NYT reported, citing American officials.
According to the report, Israeli intelligence believes Tehran is accelerating efforts to develop the technology required to deploy chemical agents through ballistic missiles or covert operations.
Using drones to deliver chemical weapons is also considered a possibility.
Some American officials have viewed the intelligence-sharing exercise as part of a pressure campaign by Netanyahu’s government to convince US President to return to major combat operations against Iran.
Others, however, believe the warnings deserve serious consideration, particularly given recent concerns about Iran’s preparations to attack American interests.
Iran has publicly denied possessing chemical weapons and previously dismissed such allegations as psychological warfare orchestrated by Israel and .
Israel has also briefed Gulf countries about its assessment that Iran is working to make chemical weapons operational. However, the regional governments reportedly expressed doubts about the claims.
A regional official told the NYT that Israeli officials presented their assessments without sharing supporting evidence. Gulf governments found the claims unconvincing and questioned whether Iran was actually developing plans to deploy chemical weapons.
Even among officials briefed on the latest intelligence, there are differing assessments about how quickly Iran could deploy chemical weapons and how effectively such weapons could be used.
According to the NYT, weapons experts and US officials believe that mounting a chemical weapon on a may not be particularly difficult. However, ensuring that the weapon effectively disperses a chemical agent presents a much bigger technical challenge.
Smuggling a chemical bomb across an international border would also involve significant operational difficulties.
The report noted that have monitored Iran’s chemical weapons activities for years. Chemical weapons are prohibited under international law.
The intelligence disclosures come as the and Iran remain in a prolonged standoff after eight months of war, with both sides exploring diplomatic possibilities while preparing for renewed military confrontation.
Netanyahu is also facing domestic political uncertainty after failing to secure a clear path to forming a government in elections last week.
