Israel steps up drills ahead of second round of US-Iran talks

Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian 

Hours before the second round of U.S.-Iran negotiations, set to take place in Geneva, Israel highlighted remarks attributed to U.S. President Donald Trump indicating he would allow it to strike Iran’s ballistic missile program if talks fail.

A report said the U.S. administration has begun internal discussions on the possibility of assisting Tel Aviv in such an attack.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a meeting to discuss the issue. A security official cited what he described as some flexibility regarding the missile file, particularly concerning their range.

Meanwhile, Israel on Monday conducted large-scale military drills across several regions, simulating heavy missile fire from Iran and four other fronts, including Lebanon through Hezbollah and Yemen through the Houthis.

The exercises included civilian evacuation operations, tests of defense systems, and the completion of preparations by Israel’s air force.

Israel, led by Netanyahu and backed by the security establishment, appears intent on keeping escalation central to the negotiating atmosphere, despite assessments from various parties suggesting a potential agreement with Iran acceptable to Trump could be reached, one that would ensure Israel is not threatened by ballistic missiles.

Those same sources said that in such a case, there would be no guarantee Trump would maintain the green light he previously granted Tel Aviv to target Iran.