Israeli defense officials have warned U.S. counterparts that Iran’s expanding ballistic missile program poses an existential threat to Israel, and that Jerusalem is prepared to strike alone if Washington hesitates, according to the Jerusalem Post.

In a series of high-level exchanges in recent weeks, Israeli officials laid out operational plans aimed at dismantling Iran’s missile production and deployment infrastructure, including potential strikes on key manufacturing and storage sites. The message, officials said, was unambiguous: Israel will not wait indefinitely for international consensus.

“We told the Americans we will strike alone if Iran crosses the red line we set on ballistic missiles,” one security source said, adding that Israel believes Tehran has not yet reached that threshold but remains under constant surveillance.

The talks reflect growing concern in Jerusalem that Iran is accelerating work on long-range systems capable of threatening Israel and destabilizing the broader region. Israeli officials have emphasized that they will not allow Tehran to rebuild or expand strategic weapons capabilities that could endanger the country’s existence.

One senior defense official described the current moment as a “historic opportunity” to significantly degrade Iran’s missile infrastructure and remove what Israel sees as an active and escalating threat.

During the consultations, Israeli representatives also presented contingency plans to target additional facilities linked to missile development and production, according to officials briefed on the discussions.

At the same time, Israeli leaders are increasingly uneasy about the direction of U.S. policy under President Donald Trump. Several officials voiced concern that Trump may favor a limited military response — similar to recent U.S. strikes against the Houthis in Yemen — that could fall short of dismantling Iran’s core capabilities.

“The worry is he might choose a few targets, declare success, and leave Israel to deal with the fallout, just like with the Houthis,” another military official said. “Partial measures won’t eliminate the threat.”

Israeli planners argue that symbolic or narrowly targeted strikes would allow Iran to quickly recover, leaving its long-term missile ambitions intact.

The warnings come as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares for an upcoming visit to Washington, DC, where Iran is expected to dominate discussions with senior U.S. officials.

Accompanying Netanyahu is expected to be Brig. Gen. Omer Tishler, the incoming commander of the Israeli Air Force. Tishler will represent the leadership of the IDF and is set to brief American counterparts on Israel’s operational assessments.

He will be acting on behalf of IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, as Israel currently lacks a formal defense attaché in Washington. The post has remained vacant since Defense Minister Yisrael Katz declined to approve the military’s nominee.

That absence has added urgency to the upcoming meetings, with Israeli officials eager to ensure that their strategic concerns are fully understood at the highest levels of the U.S. government.
Publicly, both Washington and Jerusalem continue to stress coordination and diplomatic engagement. Privately, however, Israeli officials say they are preparing for the possibility that diplomacy and limited military action will fail to curb Iran’s missile ambitions.

The result is a widening gap between Israeli and American threat perceptions — and a growing willingness in Jerusalem to act independently if it believes its security red lines have been crossed.

As one official put it, “Israel will not outsource its survival.”

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