Report: Trump’s advisers prefer that Israel attack Iran first

Trump’s senior advisers would prefer that Israel be the one to attack Iran first, it was reported tonight (between Wednesday and Thursday) on the “Politico” website. According to two sources familiar with the details, an Israeli attack is expected to lead to an Iranian attack – something that will help mobilize American public opinion, around the participation of the United States in the campaign.

Recent polls in the United States show that Americans, and especially Republicans, support regime change in Iran, but they are not ready for the US to take risks to achieve this. This means that Trump’s team is considering how a possible attack would be conducted, and how such a campaign could be justified to public opinion.

“There is a thought within and around the administration that it would be better for the Israelis to ‘go first’ and the Iranians to retaliate, giving us another reason to act,” one of the sources told Politico. Despite the political consideration that Israel will attack first, the most likely scenario may be a joint operation by the US and Israel, they said.

During the night, the American Secretary of State clarified: “Iran’s insistence on not discussing its ballistic missiles is a ‘very big problem’.” According to him, “Iran is not enriching uranium at this stage, but it is trying to reach a point where eventually it will be able to do so. Iran possesses conventional weapons designed to attack the United States, and is trying to obtain intercontinental ballistic missiles.”

At the same time, experts and diplomats told the Wall Street Journal that despite the statements of senior administration officials – Iran’s nuclear program has not made real progress since the war with Israel in June. “Based on the satellite photos and the monitoring of the nuclear facilities, we see no evidence that they are trying to rebuild their nuclear weapons development program,” said David Albright, a researcher of Iran’s nuclear program.

Earlier this week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe gave a classified briefing on the crisis with Iran to the “Gang of Eight” – the top four Republicans and Democrats in the Senate and House of Representatives. Congressman Jim James, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said after the briefing that he was very concerned that Trump was going to war with Iran.

“We have not heard one good reason that explains why now is the moment to start another war in the Middle East,” he said. The leader of the minority in the House of Representatives, Hakim Jeffries, said after the briefing that he still has “many questions that require answers regarding the military preparation in the region”.