Israel Warns America Of Iranian Chemical Attacks Same Day Trump Announces Funding Cutoff

Israel warned the U.S. on Tuesday that Iran may be preparing to unleash chemical weapons against its adversaries as President Donald Trump announced plans to end billions in annual military aid to the nation.

Israeli intelligence officials warned their American counterparts that Tehran is advancing technology capable of delivering chemical weapons through missiles or covert attacks, though U.S. officials remain divided over the credibility of the threat, according to The New York Times. The warning came on the same day as Trump’s announcement that Washington would end approximately $3.8 billion in annual military assistance to Israel by year’s end, a decision he said had been agreed upon with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Pentagon declined to comment to the Daily Caller News Foundation. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Iranian Mission to the United Nations and United States Central Command (CENTCOM) each did not immediately respond to the DCNF’s requests for comment.

“Israel closely tracks every threat posed by the Iranian terror regime and is prepared to deal with it,” a Netanyahu spokesperson told the Times.

Some American national security officials suspect this is part of a pressure push at the hands of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to coax America into engaging in large-scale combat operations against Iran. Israeli intelligence officials have warned American spy agencies that the threat of Iran developing chemical weapons is as dire as the development of a nuclear weapon, the Times reported.

This warning occurs amidst the backdrop of Netanyahu struggling to form a government after waning in popularity in the Oct. 27 Israelielections. Prior to the elections, he pushed for an attack on Iran, possibly so he could use a security emergency to force a coalition, the Times reported on Oct. 26.

Some U.S. national security officials view this situation as a repeat of 2002, where bad intelligence claiming that Iraq had chemical weapons led to Operation Iraqi Freedom, the Times reported.

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