'Iran bought time': Israel braced for dramatic US strike that never came

Israel had assessed that a major American attack on Iran, which U.S. President Donald Trump said he was considering, could be launched overnight between Friday and Saturday, prompting dramatic preparations in Israel. As Friday progressed, however, officials in Jerusalem concluded that Trump had decided to hold off and give Tehran another opportunity to make concessions. Behind the scenes, Qatar and Oman applied significant pressure on Iran to soften its position and avert what had appeared to be an almost certain large-scale American operation. Trump said Friday that he had not yet decided whether to order major new strikes. He added that Washington remained in contact with Tehran and that the Iranians were becoming “more and more serious as the days go by.” From Israel’s perspective, the pause amounts to a temporary lifeline for Iran rather than a fundamental change in the broader assessment of the negotiations. Israeli officials believe the memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran is effectively dead and see almost no prospect of a permanent agreement requiring Iran to surrender to American demands. Even if Trump has given Iran another opportunity, Israel does not expect the process to produce a lasting agreement. Tehran may nevertheless have succeeded in buying additional time, though Israeli officials believe the reprieve may be brief. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to travel to Washington on Monday and meet Trump at the White House on Tuesday. He is also expected to attend the funeral of Sen. Lindsey Graham, who died earlier this month. The meeting is expected to take place against the backdrop of the renewed diplomatic effort and Israel’s assessment that military escalation remains possible. The United States reported no new strikes on Iran overnight, marking the first pause after 13 consecutive nights of American attacks.