Israeli officials advise US to hold off on Iran attack which would 'not finish the job' - report

Israeli and Arab officials have told the U.S. administration in recent days that the Iranian regime is not yet weak enough for U.S. strikes to topple it, NBC reported Tuesday night.

According to the report – which cites a U.S. official, a former U.S. official, and another source – Israeli and Arab officials suggested that U.S. President Donald Trump should hold off on a large-scale strike for now, until the Iranian regime is in a weaker and more vulnerable position.

The sources also noted that the situation in Iran is evolving rapidly and that the stability of the regime could change for better or worse.

The report said that one Arab official suspects that an American or Israeli attack could serve to unify the Iranian population, emphasizing that Iranians had rallied around the flag following Operation “Rising Lion.

Meanwhile, Israeli officials reportedly said that military intervention at this stage “would not finish the job,” and that they proposed a range of measures to weaken the regime before any large-scale strike.

According to the sources, the options raised by Israeli officials included providing Iranian civilians with access to communications, tightening economic sanctions on Iran, cyberattacks, and limited military strikes against key Iranian figures.

The Israeli embassy in Washington declined to comment on the report. A White House official stated, “All options are at President Trump’s disposal to address the situation in Iran. The President listens to a host of opinions on any given issue, but ultimately makes the decision he feels is best."

In Israel, the assessment is that Trump may target Iran to pressure the Ayatollah regime to the negotiating table. The Security Cabinet met on Tuesday night to address multiple other issues.

Iran International, an opposition news channel, reported on Tuesday that at least 12,000 people have died since the start of the protests. The report said the majority of the fatalities occurred when Revolutionary Guard and Basij (IRGC paramilitary) forces fired on demonstrators on Thursday and Friday nights last week. The channel called it “the largest killing in the country's contemporary history.” 

An Iranian government official, however, denied the number, saying that roughly 2,000 people have been killed, including members of security forces.