Israeli defense officials see no urgent case for Iran strike, report says

Israel’s broader defense establishment sees no urgent justification for launching an attack on Iran while a government remains to be formed, according to a report broadcast by N12 News on Saturday night. The report described differing assessments within the security apparatus over whether Iran’s military buildup warrants action at this stage.

According to N12, the broader defense establishment believes Iran is increasing its capabilities but has not reached the thresholds Israel has set for itself. That assessment places a distinction between recognition of Iran’s continuing buildup and a judgment that developments have crossed the country’s stated "red lines." The report did not present the buildup itself as sufficient grounds for an immediate attack.

The Military Intelligence Directorate, known as Aman, takes a different position, N12 reported. It favors action against Iran, contrary to the broader assessment that an attack lacks urgent justification. The reported disagreement concerns the case for taking action now, with the wider defense establishment maintaining that Iran has yet to approach Israel’s thresholds.

The sensitivity of Israel’s relationship with the United States is also contributing to reluctance to act immediately, according to the report. Citing sources familiar with the discussions, N12 said the Trump administration would not tolerate efforts by Israeli parties to supply it with unreliable information. The reported concern over relations with Washington accompanies the assessment of Iran’s capabilities.

The report followed a visit to Washington by Mossad Director Roman Gofman late last week. It also came amid Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s efforts to persuade US President Donald Trump to renew the conflict in the Middle East. Those diplomatic contacts formed the backdrop to the reporting on divisions over the justification for an attack.

Gofman met CIA Director John Ratcliffe during the Washington portion of his trip. He subsequently traveled to Miami, where he met Steve Witkoff, the US special envoy to the Middle East. The meetings brought the Mossad director into contact with both the American intelligence chief and Trump’s regional envoy.

Separately, Ynet reported that Yashar party chairman MK Gadi Eisenkot was not told about Gofman’s trip during a political-security briefing with Netanyahu on Thursday. Eisenkot currently holds the mandate to form a coalition, with the process of establishing a government still unresolved.