Israel, US weighing harsh strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure

The United States and Israel are planning to initiate a harsh bombing campaign on energy infrastructure in Iran, according to a Friday CBS News report citing multiple sources.According to the report, the wave of strikes could be among the harshest to date and may begin over the weekend, targeting power plants and refineries.Multiple US sources told CBS that Israel has been notified of the potential strikes and has been coordinating with the American military, but noted that US President Donald Trump has not given final approval for the plan.The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump did authorize the plan, with US officials saying that immediate progress on the diplomatic front could cause Trump to cancel the potential strikes.One Israeli official denied the claims, telling CBS that “Israel is unaware of a decision to restart full military operations, nor has it been requested of Israel to join any military actions against Iran."The plan was reportedly discussed on Friday during a cabinet meeting held at Camp David, sources briefed later stated.White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told CBS that Trump, during the cabinet meeting, asserted that “the United States will win, and Iran will not have a nuclear weapon under his watch.”Trump additionally told reporters at the Camp David retreat that the US will be hitting Iran very hard."We'll be hitting them very hard,” Trump said. “At some point, they're going to say, 'We just can't take it anymore.'"Tehran preparing 'comprehensive plan' in response to possible strikesIn response to the CBS report, a senior Iranian security official stated that Tehran has prepared a “comprehensive plan to respond to any potential American recklessness,” according to Iranian semi-official outlet Tasnim News.The official reportedly stated that the response plan includes targeting critical infrastructure in Israel and US energy infrastructure in the region.Trump's repeated threats to strike Iranian infrastructureTrump has previously threatened to strike Iranian power plants and other infrastructure.In a July 22 post on Truth Social, Trump stated that the US will bomb one power plant or bridge every time Tehran orders strikes on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Even earlier, on July 15, Trump threatened in an interview with Fox News that the US would “knock out” all of Iran's power plants and bridges if no new peace agreement could be reached between Tehran and Washington. James Genn and Aaron Glick contributed to this report.