{"id":302634,"date":"2026-02-21T09:48:12","date_gmt":"2026-02-21T09:48:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/302634\/"},"modified":"2026-02-21T09:48:12","modified_gmt":"2026-02-21T09:48:12","slug":"israeli-officials-believe-us-iran-at-unbridgeable-impasse-as-they-near-open-conflict","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/302634\/","title":{"rendered":"Israeli officials believe US, Iran at unbridgeable impasse as they near open conflict"},"content":{"rendered":"

Iran and the United States continued to slide rapidly toward military conflict at the weekend, as hopes faded for a diplomatic solution to their standoff over Tehran\u2019s nuclear program and regional actions, officials on both sides and diplomats across the Gulf and Europe said.<\/p>\n

Israel and Iran\u2019s Gulf neighbors now consider a conflict to be more likely than a settlement, the sources said, with Washington building up one of its biggest military deployments in the region since the invasion of Iraq in 2003.<\/p>\n

Israel\u2019s government believes Tehran and Washington are at an impasse and is making preparations for possible joint military action with the United States, though no decision has been made yet on whether to carry out such an operation, said a source familiar with the planning.<\/p>\n

It would be the second time the US and Israel have attacked Iran in less than a year, following US and Israeli airstrikes against military and nuclear facilities last June.<\/p>\n

Regional officials say oil-producing Gulf countries are preparing for a possible military confrontation that they fear could spin out of control and destabilize the Middle East.<\/p>\n

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Two Israeli officials told Reuters they believe the gaps between Washington and Tehran are unbridgeable and that the chances of a near\u2011term military escalation are high.<\/p>\n

\t\"\"<\/a>
\n\t\tIran\u2019s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi delivers a speech during a session of the United Nations Conference on Disarmament, on the sidelines of a second round of US-Iranian nuclear talks, in Geneva, Switzerland, on February 17, 2026. (Valentin Flauraud \/ AFP)<\/p>\n

Some regional officials said Tehran was dangerously miscalculating by holding out for concessions, with US President Donald Trump boxed in by his own military buildup \u2014 unable to scale it back without losing face if there is no firm commitment from Iran to abandon its nuclear weapons ambitions.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoth sides are sticking to their guns,\u201d said Alan Eyre, a former US diplomat and Iran specialist, adding that nothing meaningful can emerge \u201cunless the US and Iran walk back from their red lines \u2014 which I don\u2019t think they will.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat Trump can\u2019t do is assemble all this military, and then come back with a \u2018so\u2011so\u2019 deal and pull out the military. I think he thinks he\u2019ll lose face,\u201d he said. \u201cIf he attacks, it\u2019s going to get ugly quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Two rounds of Iran-US talks have stalled on core issues, from uranium enrichment to missiles and sanctions relief.<\/p>\n

When Omani mediators delivered an envelope from the US side containing missile\u2011related proposals, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi refused even to open it and returned it, a source familiar with the talks said.<\/p>\n

After talks in Geneva on Tuesday, Araghchi said the sides had agreed on \u201cguiding principles,\u201d but the White House said there was still distance between them.<\/p>\n

\t\"\"<\/a>
\n\t\tThis handout photo released by Iran\u2019s Revolutionary Guards Corps\u2019s official website Sepanews on February 17, 2026, shows a rocket being fired during a military exercise by members of the IRGC and navy in the Strait of Hormuz. (SEPAH NEWS \/ AFP)<\/p>\n

Iran is expected to submit a written proposal in the coming days, a US official said, and Araghchi said on Friday he expected to have a draft counterproposal ready within days.<\/p>\n

But Trump, who has sent aircraft carriers, warships and jets to the Middle East, warned\u00a0Iran\u00a0on Thursday it must make a deal over its nuclear program or \u201creally bad things\u201d will happen.<\/p>\n

He appeared to set a deadline of 10 to 15 days, drawing a threat from Tehran to retaliate against US bases in the region if attacked. The rising tensions have pushed up oil prices.<\/p>\n

US officials say Trump has yet to make up his mind about using military force, although he acknowledged on Friday that he could order a limited strike to try to force Iran into a deal.<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess I can say I am considering that,\u201d he told reporters.<\/p>\n

The possible timing of an attack is unclear. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is due to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on February 28 to discuss Iran. A senior US official said it would be mid-March before all US forces were in place.<\/p>\n

Two US officials told Reuters that US military planning on Iran had reached an advanced stage, with options including targeting individuals as part of an attack and even pursuing leadership change in Tehran, if ordered by Trump.<\/p>\n

\t\"\"<\/a>
\n\t\tUS President Donald Trump departs after speaking during a press conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on February 20, 2026. (Mandel NGAN \/ AFP)<\/p>\n

\u201cThirty-two thousand killed\u201d<\/p>\n

After the US and Israel bombed Iran\u2019s nuclear facilities and some military sites last June, Trump again began threatening strikes in January as Tehran crushed widespread protests with deadly force.<\/p>\n

Referring to the crackdown on Friday, Trump said there was a difference between the people of\u00a0Iran\u00a0and the\u00a0country\u2019s leadership.\u00a0He asserted that \u201c32,000 people were killed over a relatively short period of time,\u201d figures that could not immediately be verified.<\/p>\n

Time Magazine and opposition outlet Iran International have reported such numbers,<\/a> citing information from officials in the Islamic Republic. The US-based group HRANA, which monitors the human rights situation in Iran, has so far recorded 7,114 verified deaths and says it has another 11,700 under review.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a very, very, very sad situation,\u201d Trump said, adding that his threats to strike Iran had led the leadership to abandon plans for mass hangings weeks ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey were going to hang 837 people. And I gave them the word, if you hang one person, even one person, that you\u2019re going to be hit right then and there,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\t\"\"<\/a>
\n\t\tWomen with Iranian flags take a group photo during a state-organized memorial ceremony for those killed during January\u2019s anti-government protests, at the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosque in Tehran, Iran, February 17, 2026. (AP\/Vahid Salemi)<\/p>\n

Hours after Trump\u2019s statements on the death toll, Araghchi said that the Iranian government has already published a \u201ccomprehensive list\u201d of all 3,117 killed in the unrest.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf anyone doubts the accuracy of our data, please speak with evidence,\u201d he posted on X.<\/p>\n

Token enrichment<\/p>\n

On Friday, a senior US official was quoted by Axios<\/a> as saying the Trump administration was open to considering a proposal that would allow Iran to retain a \u201ctoken\u201d nuclear enrichment capability if Tehran\u2019s route to an atomic bomb is fully sealed off.<\/p>\n

The news site said that while there could be a small opening for a deal, US officials say the proposal that Iran is expected to submit in the coming days must clear a very high bar to win over skeptics in the administration and the Middle East.<\/p>\n

\u201cPresident Trump will be ready to accept a deal that would be substantive and that he can sell politically at home. If the Iranians want to prevent an attack, they should give us an offer we can\u2019t refuse. The Iranians keep missing the window. If they play games, there won\u2019t be a lot of patience,\u201d the senior US official says.<\/p>\n

Another senior Trump adviser quoted in the report stressed that the US president \u201chasn\u2019t decided to strike yet. I know that because we haven\u2019t struck. He might never do it. He might wake up tomorrow and say, \u2018That\u2019s it.’\u201d<\/p>\n

According to the adviser, Trump has been presented with a range of military options for Iran.<\/p>\n

\t\"\"<\/a>
\n\t\tThis handout image, released and taken by David Parody on February 20, 2026, shows the US aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford heading through the Strait of Gibraltar as seen from Gibraltar. (David PARODY \/ DM Parody \/ AFP)<\/p>\n

\u201cThey have something for every scenario. One scenario takes out the ayatollah and his son and the mullahs,\u201d the adviser elaborated, referring to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and his son Mojtaba. \u201cWhat the president chooses no one knows. I don\u2019t think he knows.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another adviser said, \u201cTrump is keeping his options open. He could decide on an attack at any moment.\u201d<\/p>\n

A senior US official flatly denied an unsourced report in Iran International claiming that Iran had presented a proposal during the latest round of nuclear talks in which it agreed to halt nuclear enrichment for three years and commit to not using its ballistic missiles to attack Israel.<\/p>\n

Asked to confirm the report, the senior US official called it \u201ccompletely false.\u201d<\/p>\n

Congressional involvement<\/p>\n

The US Congress could vote as soon as next week on whether to block Trump\u2019s ability to strike Iran without lawmakers\u2019 approval.<\/p>\n

Members of Congress, including a few of Trump\u2019s fellow Republicans as well as Democrats, have tried \u2014 and failed \u2014 repeatedly to pass resolutions that would bar Trump from military action against foreign governments without lawmakers\u2019 approval.<\/p>\n

The US Constitution grants Congress, not the president, the power to send US troops to war, except for limited strikes for national security reasons. Reuters reported last week that the military is preparing for the possibility of sustained, weeks-long operations if Trump orders an attack.<\/p>\n

Trump\u2019s Republicans hold slim majorities in both the Senate and House and have blocked the resolutions, arguing that Congress should not restrict Trump\u2019s national security powers.<\/p>\n

Democratic Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia and Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky filed a Senate resolution late last month to block hostilities against Iran unless explicitly authorized by a congressional declaration of war.<\/p>\n

\t\"\"<\/a>
\n\t\tSen. Tim Kaine speaks during the Senate Democrat policy luncheon news conference at the Capitol, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)<\/p>\n

\u201cIf some of my colleagues support war, then they should have the guts to vote for the war, and to be held accountable by their constituents, rather than hiding under their desks,\u201d Kaine said in a statement.<\/p>\n

An aide to Kaine said there was no timetable yet as to when the Senate might take up the resolution.<\/p>\n

In the House of Representatives, Republican Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Democrat Ro Khanna of California said they planned to force a vote on a similar resolution next week.<\/p>\n

\u201cTrump officials say there\u2019s a 90% chance of strikes on Iran. He can\u2019t without Congress,\u201d Khanna said in a post on X.<\/p>\n

The New York Times reported<\/a> that hundreds of US troops had been evacuated from Al Udeid base in Qatar, citing unnamed Pentagon officials.<\/p>\n

Troops have also been evacuated from bases in Bahrain that house the Navy\u2019s 5th Fleet, The Times said, adding that there were no longer any American troops at bases in Iraq, Syria, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.<\/p>\n

Shortly after the story was published, however, Fox News said it was false, citing an unnamed, well-placed US official. News Nation also said CENTCOM flatly denied the report.<\/p>\n

The move would be seen as a precautionary step ahead of a potential US strike on Iran, as Tehran is likely to retaliate to such an attack by targeting US personnel in the region.<\/p>\n

The endgame<\/p>\n

Araghchi gave no specific timing as to when Iranians would get their counterproposal to the US, but said he believed a diplomatic deal was within reach and could be achieved \u201cin a very short period of time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we are now talking about is how to make sure that\u00a0Iran\u2019s nuclear program, including enrichment, is peaceful and would remain peaceful forever,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He added that technical and political \u201cconfidence-building measures\u201d would be enacted to ensure the program would remain peaceful in exchange for action on sanctions, but he gave no further details.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe president has been clear that Iran cannot have nuclear weapons or the capacity to build them, and that they cannot enrich uranium,\u201d the White House said when asked about Araghchi\u2019s comments.<\/p>\n

\t\"\"<\/a>
\n\t\tThis handout picture provided by the office of Iran\u2019s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei shows him during an address in Tehran on February 17, 2026. (Handout \/ KHAMENEI.IR \/ AFP)<\/p>\n

European and regional officials believe the scale of the US deployment to the region would enable Washington to launch strikes on Iran while simultaneously defending its military bases, allies and Israel.<\/p>\n

The core US demand remains unchanged: no uranium enrichment on Iranian soil. Iran, for its part, says it must keep its nuclear capability and refuses to discuss its ballistic missiles. It denies planning to build a nuclear weapons arsenal.<\/p>\n

If talks fail, defense analyst David Des Roches said, US activity in the Gulf already signals how any strike would begin: blind Iran\u2019s air defence and then hit the Revolutionary Guards Navy, the force behind years of tanker attacks and threats to close the Strait of Hormuz, the route for a fifth of global oil.<\/p>\n

But some Arab and European officials say they are unsure what Trump\u2019s endgame is, and European governments want the US to spell out what strikes would be meant to achieve \u2014 to degrade Iran\u2019s nuclear and missile capabilities, deter escalation, or pursue something more ambitious such as \u201cregime change.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some regional and European officials question whether military action can alter the trajectory of Iran\u2019s ruling establishment, led by Khamenei and protected by the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.<\/p>\n

Some say that, with no obvious alternative political force in Iran and the leadership\u2019s resilience largely intact, it is perilous to assume strikes could trigger regime change.<\/p>\n

Military action may be easier to start than to control, and much harder to translate into a strategic outcome, they say.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Iran and the United States continued to slide rapidly toward military conflict at the weekend, as hopes faded…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":302635,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[42,43,40,38,41,39],"class_list":["post-302634","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-headlines","tag-news","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/302634","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=302634"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/302634\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/302635"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=302634"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=302634"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=302634"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}