Photo: ninara / Wikimedia (CC BY 2.0; Tehran archive)
Israel has warned the United States that Iran may be considering the use of chemical weapons, according to a New York Times report published Tuesday. The intelligence claims have divided American officials and drawn skepticism from officials in Gulf countries.
The Times reported at 12:48pm ET on November 3 that Israel had shared intelligence asserting Iran was considering chemical weapons use against its adversaries. i24NEWS subsequently reported the account Tuesday, emphasizing the disagreement over how to interpret the Israeli warning.
The reports do not confirm that Iran possesses, has deployed or has used chemical weapons. They describe an intelligence warning and competing assessments of its credibility and purpose, not an established chemical attack or a decision by Tehran to carry one out.
American officials split over the warning
Some American officials see the intelligence as part of an effort by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to persuade President Donald Trump’s administration to resume major combat operations against Iran, according to the Times. Other officials believe the warning deserves serious attention in light of recent warnings about possible attacks on American interests.
The disagreement concerns both what Iran may be planning and how Washington should interpret the intelligence Israel has circulated. i24NEWS reported that some officials viewed it as a potential threat, while others questioned whether it was intended to build support for renewed military action.
Gulf officials also express doubts
Israel shared some of its findings with officials in Gulf countries, the Times reported. Several doubted that Tehran was developing plans to use chemical weapons and believed the warning was meant to encourage the United States and its partners to return to a more intense phase of the war.
Those conflicting assessments remain central to the report. The Israeli warning is not independently verified here, and neither the warning nor the disagreement over it establishes that Iran has made a decision to use chemical weapons.
JBizNews Desk | Washington
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