Netanyahu to brief opposition leader amid questions over timing of potential Iran strike

Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Mariella Succar

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet on Tuesday with opposition leader Yair Lapid to brief him on developments related to the Iranian file and the northern border.

The meeting follows talks Netanyahu held with U.S. Central Command chief General Brad Cooper, according to reports circulated on Sunday.

The planned meeting has raised questions about its timing — specifically, whether it will take place before or after a potential U.S. strike on Iran.

It is customary in Israel for the prime minister to brief the leader of the opposition on exceptional security decisions. 

However, past precedents suggest that maneuvering is possible.

In a previous instance, ahead of Israel’s most recent strike on Iran, Israeli authorities deflected attention by convening a cabinet meeting while military operations were already underway.

Separately, and following Cooper’s departure from Tel Aviv, Israeli media reported that U.S. forces had completed their deployment in the region in preparation for a potential attack.

At the same time, the Israeli military has been raising its level of internal readiness to respond to any development, including the possibility of a preemptive Iranian strike against Israel.

According to archived information, Cooper’s talks in Israel were limited to meetings with Israeli army chief of staff Eyal Zamir and senior security officials. The discussions focused on defensive coordination between the two militaries ahead of the expected operation.

Israeli security officials have said that U.S. President Donald Trump is not expected to authorize an attack before the full deployment of defensive and offensive forces across the Middle East is completed.

Militarily, Israeli officials say U.S. preparations are moving increasingly closer to Iran and include the deployment of:

* One aircraft carrier
* Six warships
* Two submarines
* More than 100 fighter jets
* Dozens of aerial refueling and intelligence aircraft
* Missile defense systems against ballistic missiles
* Hundreds of cruise missiles