- Israel has not yet responded to a suspected Iranian oil spill on its shores in February.
- The lack of response could be a sign that he is preparing for a significant strike against Iran, sources told Insider.
- Prayers and allies in Europe are worried that a revenge attack could spread nuclear talks with Iran.
- Visit the Insider Business Department for more stories.
Israel suspects Iran deliberately sent a ship to dump hundreds of tons of crude oil to its shores, the worst ecological disaster in the area in decades, in revenge for the November assassination of the country’s leading nuclear scientist, according to Israeli officials and media .
But Israeli officials tell Insider that the statement by Environment Minister directly blaming Iran was premature because the military and intelligence services had not yet made a final decision on Iran’s guilt and the appropriate response to what would be the most shameless act. not. environmental terrorism in recent history.
“The statement should never have been made,” a former Israeli intelligence official, who is still consulting with the government and therefore cannot be named, told Insider. “The IDF and Mossad are responsible for investigating attacks on the Israeli homeland, for determining responsibility and for proposing an action to respond to. The process is ongoing and it is not the minister’s portfolio. of environmental issues to start wars with Iran. “
Over the past two weeks, tons of crude oil have washed ashore on the beaches of Israel and Lebanon, destroying wildlife and causing ecological damage that could take years to repair, according to environmental experts. But after the minister directly accused Iran of a complicated operation to drop the oil abroad, the issue took on a new dimension as fears rose in Washington and Europe over the possibility of an Israeli response.
The former official admitted that the Israeli military and intelligence services suspected that they had an Iranian operation as described by the minister – who said that a Libyan flagship sailed from Iran to Israel and spilled the oil abroad before entering Syria stopped and returned. was the case.
“Well, it does look like that, but there is a process to gather all the intelligence and evidence and compile it into useful information that can help the decision making,” the official said. ‘It is being treated as a direct attack on Israel by a foreign enemy, the most potentially serious since 2006 [attack by Hezbollah to kidnap two Israeli soldiers]. The [prime minister’s office] was already determined about Iran’s attack on [the ship]. Strike options have already been considered on their own. ‘
There is concern that Israel is working on a substantial response, ‘which would be a problem for those of us who want a nuclear deal’.
On February 26, two explosions hit a cargo ship in Israel that was in the Gulf of Oman. Officials immediately blamed the Iranian troops, who have long been accused of ongoing, sporadic attacks on shipping in the area. The attack, the first time Iran has directly targeted Israeli shipping in the region, has already sparked a heated debate in Israel over the need to respond to Iranian targets.
With the attack blaming Iran most strongly, there is growing concern that Israeli intelligence will take the same determination as the Ministry of Environment – that the oil spill is an Iranian operation. Israel could use the double provocations as a reason to strike Iran just as Europe and the United States hope to resume nuclear talks with Iran in exchange for a reopening of economic trade and more peaceful relations.
“Iran is very good at managing escalation, but if both incidents were their job, it’s a gamble, because both operations made the Israelis significantly angrier than normal provocations,” said a European diplomat in the region. sensitivity.
“Iran needs to know that Israel is looking for a good reason to escalate things itself because of the fear that Biden will ignore them by striking a new agreement on the nuclear program,” the diplomat said. ‘And while I’m usually welcome that countries do not come to a conclusion, I suspect I would prefer it. [Israel Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu] would shout on television and wave pictures of dead sea turtles. Until he delivers the performance, there are concerns that it means the planners are working on a substantial response, which will be a problem for the users who want a nuclear power. ‘
A U.S. National Security Council official – who does not speak to the media in honor of the speech – said the concern of an Israeli response was real, but frustration over Iran’s provocations is growing in DC and Europe.
“Everyone knows that Bibi wants to delay any resumption of talks on the nukes and is looking for an excuse to enforce action that cannot be undone,” the official said. “But there are obviously constipators in Tehran who agree and continue to apologize. It is difficult to be patient if Iran acts in this aggressive way.”