Israel is facing one of the most critical security decisions in its modern history: whether to act alone in striking Iran’s nuclear infrastructure as the United States edges closer to a renewed nuclear agreement with Tehran. As American diplomats continue what they describe as “positive” negotiations, Israeli defense officials warn the clock may be running out.

The dilemma has escalated behind closed doors, as the Biden-era failure to secure a long-term agreement gave way to the Trump administration’s hardened stance. Still, Israeli officials fear the forthcoming deal may fail to fully dismantle Iran’s military nuclear capabilities—leaving Israel exposed and increasingly isolated.

“We are watching the Americans go down the same path again,” said one senior Israeli official. “But this time, the risk to us is far greater.”

The White House’s diplomatic team, led by top envoy Steve Witkoff, is pressing ahead with a new agreement after initial talks in Oman and a second round in Rome. Tehran, according to multiple sources, has indicated willingness to cap uranium enrichment at the same level they agreed to cap it in the awful 2015 deal with then-President Barack Obama—if the U.S. provides ironclad guarantees that a future administration won’t again walk away from the deal.

But while Washington explores compromise, Jerusalem is digging in. Israel is demanding total dismantling of Iran’s military nuclear program, its ballistic missile project, and a halt to funding proxy terror groups across the Middle East. Anything less, officials warn, risks legitimizing Iran’s slow march toward nuclear breakout.

According to reports, Israeli defense planners have already begun preparing independent strike capabilities, despite knowing such a move would face steep logistical and strategic limitations. Iran is a geographically large nation, and its nuclear facilities are heavily fortified, dispersed, and designed to survive an initial strike. “This wouldn’t be a one-night operation,” said a former IDF general. “It would require waves of attacks—and only the U.S. has that ability.”

Still, the option remains on the table.

The challenge for Israel is compounded by mixed messages from Washington. Witkoff’s public comments over the past week have veered from seeking limitations to demanding full dismantlement, injecting uncertainty into allies’ expectations—and perhaps emboldening Tehran.

Iran, meanwhile, remains defiant. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has drawn red lines that include no dismantling of centrifuges, no reduction in enriched uranium, and no negotiations on the Islamic Republic’s growing missile arsenal.

One senior Iranian official, speaking to Reuters anonymously, suggested that while Iran is open to inspections and some limitations, full disarmament is off the table. “We will not allow another 2015-style betrayal,” the official said, referring to Trump’s withdrawal from the original deal in 2018.

President Donald Trump, speaking from the Oval Office, made clear that no matter what emerges from the negotiations, “Iran will never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.” The president abruptly ended his comments after a medical emergency in the room, but not before issuing a stern warning: “If they get the bomb, your life will be in danger. You’ll all be very unhappy.”

Trump has reinstated his “maximum pressure” campaign since returning to office in January, reimposing sweeping sanctions and targeting Iranian proxies across the region. Yet his administration’s openness to a limited enrichment deal—reportedly embraced by Witkoff in private—has left Israeli leaders questioning how far Washington is truly willing to go.

If Washington strikes a deal that freezes but does not erase Iran’s nuclear capabilities, the Islamic Republic could rearm at will once political winds shift. Israeli intelligence assessments suggest Iran already has enough enriched material to develop a nuclear weapon in under a year.

“There is no version of a deal that stops this threat permanently,” said a senior Mossad source. “Only action will.”

But that action comes with immense risk. Iran’s nuclear program is fortified against the very kind of raid Israel used to destroy Syria’s reactor in 2007 or Iraq’s in 1981. Even if Jerusalem employed its most advanced weapons—or acquired American “bunker busters”—Iran’s resilience and determination would remain.

“There is no silver bullet,” said the source. “Only constant pressure.”

“Time is not on our side,” another Israeli official said bluntly. “And neither is the next agreement.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)