Wall Street Journal: Israel prepares to launch attacks on Iranian energy facilities
The Wall Street Journal on Saturday quoted an Israeli official as saying that Israel is preparing to launch attacks on Iranian energy facilities and is waiting for Washington’s approval.
The Israeli official told the Wall Street Journal that “we are likely to start attacking Iranian energy facilities next Monday”.
The WSJ also quoted officials as saying that aides to President Donald Trump see targeting Iranian infrastructure as legitimate.
According to these officials, Trump is pursuing a plan to bomb bridges and power plants in Iran.
In a related context, the Israel Broadcasting Corporation quoted an Israeli official as saying, “We’ve at least another week of heavy fighting against Iran”.
Trump on Saturday renewed the deadline he gave Iran to conclude a deal that would end the war that has been going on for more than a month, warning it against 48 hours left before facing hell.
In a stern warning, Trump wrote on Truth Social: “Remember when Iran gave Iran 10 days to make a deal or open the Strait of Hormuz? Time is running out, there are 48 hours left before hell descends on them!”
Trump had given Tehran until April 6 to open the Strait of Hormuz, which it has effectively closed since the start of the US-Israeli offensive on February 28, or its energy facilities would be bombed.
Regarding the negotiation track, Iran has so far rejected any proposal for a temporary ceasefire, and demanded a permanent end to the war with clear guarantees that the United States would not launch another attack on it.
Sources familiar with the US-Iran negotiations said the mediators are still trying to bring the parties together in a face-to-face meeting, but to no avail so far.
Mediators are now working on possible confidence-building measures as a way to hold direct talks, but it’s unclear if anything can be achieved by Monday’s deadline.
