US, Gulf states skeptical of Israeli warning on Iranian chemical weapons

Israel has reportedly warned the United States and Arab Gulf states that Iran could potentially use chemical weapons but officials in Washington and the Gulf have expressed skepticism about the intelligence, according to a New York Times (NYT) report published Tuesday.

Citing U.S. and regional officials, the report states that Israeli officials told their American counterparts that the Iranian regime is developing technologies to deliver chemical weapons via missiles or smuggle them into unnamed enemy countries.

Some U.S. officials reportedly believe the Israeli intelligence is intended to persuade U.S. President Donald Trump to resume military strikes against the Islamic Republic. Gulf states, which are among the most exposed to potential Iranian attacks, have reportedly dismissed the Israeli assessment as “unserious.”

However, some officials are taking the warnings seriously amid continued Iranian threats against the United States and its Gulf neighbors.

The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office neither confirmed nor denied the NYT report. Speaking to The Times of Israel, the office stated that “Israel is following closely every threat from the Iranian terror regime, and is ready to confront them.”

Trump, who has favored a negotiated deal with Tehran, has signaled growing frustration with the Iranian regime’s refusal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and abandon its nuclear ambitions. The Trump administration recently told its Gulf allies to prepare for potential renewed military action against Iran following the U.S. midterm elections.

"We may do another little Epic Fury, or they'll agree," Trump told Fox News, referring to the 40 days of joint U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran earlier this year.

Meanwhile, Qatari mediators have been working to prevent renewed military clashes between Washington and Tehran. Iran has denied the intelligence report that it has developed chemical weapons.

Tehran has also denied seeking to develop nuclear weapons, while continuing to insist on enriching weapons-grade uranium, which has no civilian applications, and maintaining its nuclear program in fortified underground facilities.

However, the prospect of renewed military action became more immediate on Monday, when the U.S. military conducted limited strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island, near the Strait of Hormuz, according to The Wall Street Journal.

“They built an anti-aircraft facility… As soon as it was completed, we hit it last night very nicely,” Trump told the Fox & Friends show, stressing that the U.S. strike was a “minor attack.”

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf threatened an “unpredictable” response to the strikes.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran’s military and strategic response to any miscalculation by the enemy will be unpredictable, disregarding geographical constraints,” Ghalibaf warned.

Despite the military escalation, Trump has continued to insist that Tehran prefers a negotiated settlement to renewed conflict.

“Iran wants a settlement, as soon as possible,” Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform.

A senior Iranian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that mediators are working to secure an agreement between Washington and Tehran.

“Mediators are working hard to narrow gaps between Tehran and Washington,” the Iranian official stated. “Tehran’s conditions must be met if the U.S. wants Hormuz reopened,” the official added.

The weakened Iranian regime is demanding a permanent end to the war, including a halt to Israeli military operations against its regional proxies, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza.

Tehran is also seeking the lifting of U.S. sanctions, financial reparations for the war and international recognition of its authority over the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump, who has been a vocal critic of former President Barack Obama’s 2015 Iran nuclear agreement, is eager to demonstrate that his own Iran policy has secured tangible improvements for Washington.

Given the significant differences between the two sides’ demands, however, it remains uncertain whether the administration will accept Tehran’s conditions.