US intel suggests Israel preparing strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, CNN reports

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(Reuters) -New intelligence obtained by the United States suggests that Israel is making preparations to strike Iranian nuclear facilities, CNN reported on Tuesday, citing multiple U.S. officials familiar with the intelligence.

It was not clear whether Israeli leaders have made a final decision and there was disagreement within the U.S. government about whether they would ultimately decide to carry out strikes, CNN added, citing the officials.

Reuters could not immediately confirm the report. The National Security Council did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Israeli Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond, nor did the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, which was contacted after hours.

One source familiar with the intelligence told CNN the likelihood of an Israeli strike on an Iranian nuclear facility “has gone up significantly in recent months.”

The person added that the chance of a strike would be more likely if the U.S. reached a deal with Iran that did not remove all of the country’s uranium, CNN added.

President Donald Trump’s administration has been conducting negotiations with Iran aimed at achieving a diplomatic deal over its nuclear program.

The new intelligence was based on the public and private communications from senior Israeli officials as well as intercepted Israeli communications and observations of Israeli military movements that could suggest an imminent strike, CNN reported.

CNN cited two sources saying that among the military preparations the U.S. had observed were the movement of air munitions and the completion of an air exercise.

Earlier on Tuesday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said U.S. demands that Tehran stop enriching uranium are “excessive and outrageous,” state media reported, voicing doubts over whether talks on a new nuclear deal will succeed.

(Reporting by Ryan Patrick Jones; Editing by Jasper Ward and Stephen Coates)