Secret talks in Paris: Israel pushes US to back military action against Iran's nuclear sites

Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi 

Israel's security establishment has warned that a rare and historic opportunity to carry out a military strike on Iran's nuclear infrastructure could vanish within months if not acted upon, according to recommendations delivered to the political leadership.

The renewed urgency comes amid high-level Israeli discussions about the viability of launching a military operation targeting Iran's nuclear facilities. 

According to Israeli media sources, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and Mossad Chief David Barnea recently traveled to Paris on a secret mission, where they met with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff. Their talks came ahead of the second round of U.S.-Iran negotiations scheduled for Saturday and were aimed at influencing Washington's stance on Tehran's nuclear ambitions.

During the Paris meeting, both Dermer and Barnea reportedly stressed that diplomacy would not succeed and that a military solution was the only viable path to halting Iran's nuclear program.

However, the prospect of unilateral action has drawn internal concern. 

Several Israeli security and military officials have warned of the high risks associated with going it alone.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly pushing for swift action, hoping to green-light the operation soon.

Israel's security establishment is preparing a plan for a wide-scale aerial offensive but insists it would require U.S. support—to shield Israel from an anticipated Iranian response and also deter or respond to any potential preemptive strike by Tehran.