Reports suggest that Israel is considering targeting Iran's nuclear sites, while Trump weighs the possibility of blocking Tehran's atomic program.

The collapse of the Assad regime in Syria has prompted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President-elect Donald Trump to focus their attention on Iran's nuclear program.

Reports suggest that Israel is considering targeting Iran's nuclear sites, while Trump weighs the possibility of blocking Tehran's atomic program.
Reports suggest that Israel is considering targeting Iran's nuclear sites, while Trump weighs the possibility of blocking Tehran's atomic program.

The Israeli air force is preparing for a possible strike against Iran's nuclear program as the Trump administration is considering a "maximum pressure 2.0" campaign against Tehran amidst the rapidly changing situation in the Middle East.

The collapse of the Bashar al-Assad government, which was once supported by Iran, has resulted in a shift in the Middle East's political landscape and left Tehran more isolated.

On Thursday, Israeli reports stated that due to the evolving situation in the region, Israel is once again considering targeting Iran's nuclear program, which is viewed as a significant emerging threat by Jerusalem and its allies. Tensions between the West and nations like Russia and Iran continue to escalate.

Trump and Netanyahu in Jerusalem
President-elect Donald Trump, left, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. Trump has promised "hell to pay" if hostages being held by Hamas are not released prior to when he takes office on Jan. 20. (AP/Sebastian Scheiner)

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has not yet responded to allegations that they plan to strike Iran's nuclear program, although such an action has long been considered taboo and was previously pursued by Jerusalem earlier this year.

The Biden administration and its international partners, including the International Atomic Energy Agency, have urged Israel not to attack Iran's nuclear facilities.

In late October, the IDF hit and degraded part of Iran's nuclear program in a retaliatory strike, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cautioned that it was not sufficient to prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon.

In November, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that Iran was "more vulnerable than ever" to attacks on its nuclear facilities.

He stated that we have the chance to accomplish our top priority - preventing the imminent danger to the existence of Israel.

Iranian nuclear infrastructure
The Foundation for Defense of Democracies has analyzed where Iran's nuclear infrastructure is located as Israel mulls retaliatory attack. (Image provided by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies)

The Israeli strikes have not significantly affected Iran's nuclear program, and the IAEA still believes that Iran is rapidly increasing its stockpiles of near-weapons grade enriched uranium.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that President-elect Trump's transition team is considering a "maximum pressure 2.0" campaign against Tehran's efforts to develop a nuclear weapon.

In this file photo obtained from the Iranian Fars News Agency, a Qadr H long-range ballistic surface-to-surface missile is fired by Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard, during a maneuver, in an undisclosed location in Iran, on March 9, 2016.
In this file photo obtained from the Iranian Fars News Agency, a Qadr H long-range ballistic surface-to-surface missile is fired by Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard, during a maneuver, in an undisclosed location in Iran, on March 9, 2016. (AP Photo/Fars News Agency, Omid Vahabzadeh)

Trump's team is reportedly working on strategies to limit Iran's nuclear pursuits, including the possibility of preventive airstrikes, without leading to a war with Tehran.

The Trump transition team could not be reached by Planet Chronicle Digital for comment, but in an interview with the president-elect published on Thursday, Time magazine raised the possibility of the U.S. going to war with Iran, to which Trump responded, "anything can happen."

by Caitlin McFall

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