Security Official tells JFeed: CNN Iran Strike Report 'Disconnected'

Reuters published a report overnight (Tuesday to Wednesday) that included relatively rare criticism from within Iran about the ayatollahs’ regime, with three Iranian sources stating that Tehran’s leadership lacks a backup plan if nuclear talks with the U.S. fail.

The report coincided with a CNN report that night, revealing that the U.S. has gathered fresh intelligence suggesting Israel, concerned that the nuclear talks might lead to a problematic deal that doesn’t fully address Iran’s nuclear threat, is preparing for an attack on the Islamic Republic, as reported by Ynet.

Following CNN's report, a senior security official told JFeed:

"The claim that “the U.S. has gathered intelligence indicating the IDF is preparing to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities” is disconnected from reality and frankly, it’s not even news.

Let’s start with the basics: Israel and the U.S. maintain close intelligence coordination. There’s no need for “intelligence gathering” between allies who cooperate so closely.

As for preparations to strike: The IDF has been preparing for a potential operation against Iran for over 15 years. This isn’t a revelation, it’s a long-standing and well-known strategic posture.

Regarding “military movements”: In Israel, military activity is constant, troop movements, exercises, and deployments are routine. Portraying this as something unusual is misleading.

At the end of the day, this is a transparent attempt to apply political pressure through disinformation, painting Israel as operating in the shadows. The truth is the opposite: Israel acts responsibly, in coordination with its allies, chief among them, the United States."

Iran responded this morning to both the CNN and Reuters reports, labeling them "psychological warfare."

The Iranian news agency Tasnim reported: “It seems that in the coming days, we will experience a broader scope of propaganda and psychological operations from Western countries to gain points by threatening or intimidating our negotiating team.”

Later, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi cautiously suggested Tehran might abandon the talks, possibly as a negotiation tactic: “Iran is now considering whether to participate in the next round of talks or not,” he said.

The Iranian sources speaking to Reuters noted that should negotiations with Washington fail (as Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei predicted just yesterday), Iran would lean further on its alliances with China and Russia. “The ‘Plan B’ is to continue the strategy that existed before the talks began. Iran will avoid escalation and is prepared to defend itself ... The strategy could also include strengthening ties with allies like Russia and China”, an Iranian official told Reuters. However, three Tehran sources told Reuters this plan is flawed, as Beijing is focused on its trade war with the U.S., while Moscow is preoccupied with the war in Ukraine.

Ynet contributed to this report.