Israel Shares Intelligence With US Claiming Iran May Use Chemical Weapons: NYT Report

As Americans vote in the midterm elections, a report by The New York Times on Tuesday said Israel has shared intelligence with Washington suggesting that Iran may be considering using “chemical weapons” against its adversaries.

The intelligence has reportedly triggered differences among American officials, with some viewing Israel’s assessment as part of a pressure campaign by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s government to persuade the Trump administration to resume major military operations against Iran. Others, however, believe the alleged threat should be taken seriously, the report said.

Also Read | US Preparing For Possible Iran Strike Shortly After Midterms Voting: Report

Israel has also shared some of the information with officials in Gulf

countries, according to the report.

The intelligence sharing comes at a politically sensitive time for both Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump. Netanyahu’s bloc fell short of a majority in Israel’s recent elections, while Trump faces the possibility of Republican losses in the US midterm elections.

Trump Confirms US Strikes On Iran

Meanwhile, Trump on Tuesday confirmed that the United States had carried out strikes on Iran, even as Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that no one would benefit from a return to war.

Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said the Islamic Republic was “ready for battle with its finger on the trigger”. Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, meanwhile, said Tehran retained the right to “legitimate self-defence” following the strikes.

Pezeshkian said his government was still seeking to resolve the crisis through dialogue, warning that “no one will benefit from this war” if hostilities resume. He also said Iran’s Supreme Leader had recently granted the government new powers to negotiate on issues that were previously considered “off-limits”.

Trump confirmed the strikes in an interview with Fox News after reports by The Wall Street Journal, CNN and The New York Times said that US forces had struck targets on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz.

“They built an anti-aircraft facility… As soon as it was completed, we hit it last night very nicely,” Trump said on Fox & Friends, describing the operation as a “minor attack”.

US officials described the strikes as limited and defensive, saying they were intended to counter threats from Iranian forces and did not signal a return to major combat operations. An Israeli military spokesperson also told AFP that Israel was not involved in the latest strikes.

The attack on Qeshm came just hours after Trump suggested that a deal with Iran “could happen”, as American voters prepared to cast their ballots in midterm elections shaped in part by public dissatisfaction over the war and its economic impact.

“Iran wants a settlement, as soon as possible,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported that five explosions were heard in quick succession on Qeshm Island. Some residents also reported seeing two aircraft flying over the island.