\u201cWe are much closer than we were before, but I remind you \u2014 a superpower does not go to war in a matter of days. There is a diplomatic path that must be exhausted,\u201d said Yadlin, who now heads a national security consultancy.<\/p>\n
Yadlin added that \u201cmany oppose the attack. The Pentagon is not clear what they want it to achieve. The president is very determined. The statement that all options are on the table is based on a credible military threat, which comes alongside the preparations off the coast of Iran and in the skies.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tGet The Times of Israel’s Daily Edition
\n\t\t\tby email and never miss our top stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\tBy signing up, you agree to the terms<\/a><\/p>\n Sources told the Axios news site<\/a> on Wednesday that a potential US-Iran war would be a long, multi-week campaign, with a White House official putting the chances of a strike in the coming weeks at 90 percent.<\/p>\n \t It would likely be a joint US-Israeli operation, said the source, even larger than the 12-day Israeli-led bombing campaign last June. According to the sources, the war could come earlier than most people expect, and could be far larger than many anticipate. Iranian missiles in June killed 32 people and wounded over 3,000 in Israel.<\/p>\n US President Donald Trump \u201cis getting fed up,\u201d said a Trump adviser. \u201cSome people around him warn him against going to war with Iran, but I think there is 90% chance we see kinetic action in the next few weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n Two Israeli officials told the outlet that Israel is preparing for a war to break out \u201cwithin days,\u201d adding that Israel is pushing an operation aimed at toppling the regime.<\/p>\n Likud MK Boaz Bismuth, the chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, said Wednesday that Israel is facing \u201cchallenging days,\u201d following a hearing with the IDF Home Front Command chief.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is no citizen of Israel who doesn\u2019t ask himself several times a day \u2018when will the Iran conflict happen?’\u201d said Bismuth. \u201cThe public is prepared and the authorities are prepared. We in the Knesset are also ensuring that the home front is prepared for every scenario.\u201d<\/p>\n Iran said following the talks on Tuesday in Geneva that the sides had agreed<\/a> on \u201cguiding principles\u201d for a deal to avoid conflict. US Vice President JD Vance, however, said Tehran<\/a> had not yet acknowledged all of Washington\u2019s red lines.<\/p>\n \t US Energy Secretary Chris Wright warned Wednesday that the United States was determined to deter Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019ve been very clear about what they would do with nuclear weapons. It\u2019s entirely unacceptable,\u201d Wright told reporters in Paris on the sidelines of meetings of the International Atomic Energy Agency.<\/p>\n \u201cSo one way or the other, we are going to end, deter Iran\u2019s march towards a nuclear weapon,\u201d Wright said.<\/p>\n On Tuesday, open-source flight tracking data showed that the US military had moved dozens of fighter jets toward the Middle East in a day. The aircraft included F-22, F-35, and F-16 jets. Several refuelers were also spotted on the move, according to social media accounts dedicated to tracking military flights.<\/p>\n \t Meanwhile, Iranian media reported Wednesday that Iran and Russia will conduct naval maneuvers in the Sea of Oman on Thursday.<\/p>\n \u201cThe joint naval exercise of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Russia will take place tomorrow in the Sea of Oman and in the northern Indian Ocean,\u201d the ISNA agency reported, citing drill spokesman, Rear Admiral Hassan Maghsoudloo. \u201cThe aim is to strengthen maritime security and to deepen relations between the navies of the two countries,\u201d he said, without specifying the duration of the drill.<\/p>\n On Monday, the Revolutionary Guards, the ideological arm of Iran\u2019s military, also launched exercises in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a challenge to US naval forces deployed in the region. Iran announced Tuesday that it would partially close the key strait for a few hours for \u201csecurity\u201d reasons during its drills.<\/p>\n
If so, we have a request.\u00a0<\/p>\n Every day during the past two years of war and rising global anti-Zionism and antisemitism, our journalists kept you abreast of the most important developments that merit your attention. Millions of people rely on ToI for fact-based coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.\u00a0<\/p>\n We care about Israel – and we know you do too. So we have an ask for this new year of 2026: express your values by joining The Times of Israel Community, an exclusive group for readers like you who appreciate and financially support our work.\u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t\t
\t\t\t
\t\t\tAlready a member? Sign in to stop seeing this<\/a><\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t You clearly find our careful reporting valuable, in a time when facts are often distorted and news coverage often lacks context.<\/p>\n Your support is essential to continue our work. We want to continue delivering the professional journalism you value, even as the demands on our newsroom have grown dramatically since October 7.<\/p>\n So today, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you’ll become our partners while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing\u00a0exclusive content\u00a0available only to Times of Israel Community members.<\/p>\n Thank you, \t\t\t
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/F250619OBH02-640x400.jpg\")
<\/a>
\n\t\tSecurity and rescue forces at the scene of an Iranian ballistic missile strike in Holon, June 19, 2025. (Oren Ben Hakoon\/Flash90)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AFP__20260217__97VK9TJ__v1__HighRes__SwitzerlandUsIranEnergyDiplomacyNuclearUn-640x400.jpg\"){kind=spacer}
<\/a>
\n\t\tIran\u2019s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi looks on after he delivered a speech during a session of the United Nations Conference on Disarmament, on the sideline of a second round of US-Iranian talks with Washington in Geneva, on February 17, 2026. (Valentin Flauraud \/ AFP)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AFP__20260207__96GX6T7__v2__HighRes__TopshotUsIranDefenceDiplomacy-e1771037429186-640x400.jpg\")
<\/a>
\n\t\tIn this handout photograph released by the US Navy on February 5, 2026, US sailors direct an EA-18G Growler, attached to Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 133, on the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea on February 3, 2026. (Zoe Simpson\/US Navy\/AFP)<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tIs accurate Israel coverage important to you?\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tI’m with you and will give\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tI’m with you and will give\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tYou appreciate our journalism\t\t\t<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/DH-new-headshot-circular.png\" "\\"\\"\/")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tJoin Our Community\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n