Iran is approaching the red line 

Israel and the US are concerned about Iran's rapid approach to the ability to produce its first nuclear bomb and its tightening of military ties with Russia. Washington demands that Netanyahu calm down the situation in the Palestinian arena and in the political arena in Israel as a condition for reaching an understanding on the Iranian danger. Netanyahu is expected to align himself with the Biden administration

 

  

Iran is taking giant steps closer to enriching its uranium to the level of 90 percent, which allows it to produce its first nuclear bomb.

 

The International Atomic Energy Agency reported that it found evidence of enriched uranium in Iran at a level of 84 percent, which causes great concern in Jerusalem and Washington. 

A senior American official estimated that Iran could produce a nuclear bomb within 12 days. 

In addition, Iran is asking Russia to purchase S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems from it, which would make it very difficult for Israel to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities. The Russians, who receive a regular supply of missiles and drones from Iran for the war in Ukraine, have not yet agreed to sell the S-400 systems to Iran, but They may sell them advanced Sukhoi-35 fighter jets. 

These concerns of Israel and the United States, accelerated the talks between the two countries to tighten intelligence and military coordination between them. American Defense Minister Lloyd Austin will arrive in Israel next week for meetings with Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Gallant.

 

Israel demands that the US put a credible military threat on the table to deter Iran from running towards the nuclear bomb, but the Americans want to see a change in the Netanyahu government’s policy on the Palestinian issue and on the issue of legal reform. 

A senior American official said that it is difficult for the US to work with the Netanyahu government on the issue of Iran while its backyard is on fire. 

There is agreement in the top intelligence levels in Israel and the US that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has not yet made the decision to produce a nuclear bomb, meanwhile Iran enjoys stressing the world as a nuclear threshold state. 

According to intelligence estimates in Israel and the US, Iran needs a period of one to two years to produce a nuclear warhead that can be mounted on a ballistic missile so that it can threaten Israel.

 

Senior officials in Jerusalem say that the Iranian nuclear threat is not only to Israel but to the entire world, Iran has ballistic missiles with ranges of thousands of kilometers and as soon as nuclear warheads are mounted on them they will threaten the entire world. 

The American demand to calm the Palestinian arena and the Israeli internal arena will be at the center of the expected talks in the coming days between the two countries. 

The Americans estimate that they will be able to influence the Netanyahu government because it understands very well that the Iranian nuclear threat is an existential threat, on March 14 the follow-up meeting to the Aqaba meeting is scheduled to take place in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, and Israel is scheduled to take confidence-building steps towards the Palestinians to try and promote calm and to prevent the outbreak of acts of violence and terrorism towards the month of Ramadan. 

Also on the Israeli domestic level, the assessment at the political elite in Israel is that the effort will continue to find a formula that will allow the opening of a dialogue between the government and the opposition on the issue of legal reform, the opening of such a dialogue will reduce tensions between Netanyahu’s office and the White House, Netanyahu is also supposed to restrain the statements of ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir. 

Iranians are very encouraged by the wave of protests in Israel following the legal reform legislative process, the Iranian media extensively covers the protests in Israel and the Iranian commentators claim that the Hijab protest in Iran has died down and now Israel is paying the price for being behind the protests in Iran and igniting the protesters in order to shake the stability of the Iranian regime .

 

There is no doubt that the Iranian danger is the priority of the Netanyahu government, therefore it is estimated that Prime Minister Netanyahu will align himself with the Biden administration in order to reach agreements with him on the methods of action against Iran, the coming week is a very important week in everything related to reaching agreements between Israel and the administration.

Yoni Ben Menachem Senior Middle East Analyst

About Yoni Ben Menachem

Yoni Ben Menachem is a Middle East senior analyst ,a journalist and
the former CEO of the Israel Broadcasting Authority(IBA). He has
decades of experience in written and video journalism. Ben
Menachem’s path in the media world began as a producer for
Japanese television in the Middle East. After that, he held many key
positions in the media The Israeli: CEO of the Israel Broadcasting
Authority, director of “Kol Israel” Radio, reporter on West Bank and
Gaza Strip affairs, political reporter and commentator, commentator
on Middle East affairs and editor-in-chief and presenter of the
program “Middle East Magazine”. 

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