Israel has so far refused to divulge to the Biden administration details of its plans to retaliate against Tehran, U.S. officials say, even as the White House is urging its closest Middle East ally not to hit Iran’s oil facilities or nuclear sites amid fears of a widening regional war.
U.S. officials are frustrated that they have been repeatedly caught off guard by Israel’s military actions in Gaza and Lebanon, and are seeking to head off further escalation. Some had hoped the U.S. would learn more about what Israel was contemplating during a planned visit Wednesday between Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon, but Gallant postponed his trip, the Pentagon said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blocked Gallant from departing to the U.S. on Tuesday night as Israel continued planning its Iran operation, an Israeli official said. U.S. officials say they don’t yet have either the timing of the strike or what Israel might target.
Last month, Israel carried out a strike against Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah without informing the U.S. ahead of time. The bombing, which took place as Washington was hoping to finalize a cease-fire plan between Israel and Lebanon, surprised senior administration officials.
“Excuse me, what did you say?” Austin said when Gallant told him during a call about the Nasrallah attack, according to U.S. officials familiar with the conversation. During a second call the same day, Austin asked Gallant if Israel was prepared to be “alone” when it came to defending itself, given the lack of notice.
Austin was frustrated because the U.S. didn’t have enough time to position its forces to potentially come to Israel’s defense or to protect nearby U.S. troops, defense officials said.
With Israel promising a response to Iran’s launching of nearly 200 missiles shortly after Nasrallah’s assassination, U.S. officials are hoping this time they will have more insights on a strike that could lead to greater American military involvement.
Israel has at times heeded U.S. advice over the past year. The U.S. sought a more deliberate plan to clear the southern Gaza city of Rafah, which prompted Israel to limit its operations there. The U.S. also convinced Israel not to launch an attack on Hezbollah in Lebanon based on faulty intelligence just days after Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack.
But Israel’s response to Iran could test the limits of Israel’s responsiveness.
Army Gen. Erik Kurilla, who heads U.S. Central Command, which is responsible for U.S. military operations in the Middle East, traveled to Israel on Sunday where he met with Gallant and top Israeli military commanders, in part, to warn against striking Iran’s nuclear sites or oil facilities.
Gallant is widely seen as the Israeli leader most responsive to the U.S. concerns about Israel’s prosecution of the war in Gaza, especially regarding increasing humanitarian aid into the enclave and creating a plan for the strip’s postwar governance. Austin and Gallant have been in close contact over the past year, speaking sometimes multiple times a week by phone, and are generally considered to have a good relationship.
But U.S. officials won’t say if they have gotten assurances from Israel that Washington would be notified ahead of Israel’s expected strike on Iran, instead pointing to frequent conversations between top officials. Austin and Gallant have spoken more than 80 times over the past year, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said Tuesday.
During the Washington meeting that was supposed to take place Wednesday, Gallant was expected to bring some details of the strike plan, including potential targets, U.S. officials said.
Some officials in Washington hope that Israel will spell out its plan to notify the U.S. ahead of any potential campaign. Gallant and Austin had also planned to talk about Israeli aims in its war in Lebanon, a person familiar with the matter said. “There are certain things they can’t discuss on the phone,” said an Israeli official.
Over the past year, the Pentagon has beefed up its presence in the region to help defend Israel and U.S. interests. There currently are two aircraft carriers nearby, amphibious assault ships, destroyers and additional squadrons of jet fighters.
In April and earlier this month, U.S. ships and planes intercepted some of the Iranian missiles and drones bound for Israel.
The U.S. has conducted scores of strikes against Israel’s foes. Last week, the U.S. launched strikes on 15 Houthi targets in Yemen, including launch sites and military infrastructure, defense officials said. The Houthis, who have launched missiles at Israel, have said they are targeting shipping in the Red Sea in response to the war in Gaza.
Days after Nasrallah was killed on Sept. 27, Iran launched missiles at Israeli military sites that damaged at least one Israeli air base and forced civilians into shelters. Israel vowed to respond.
Some U.S. officials have said Israel could launch something bigger than its April retaliatory strike, a limited show of force that targeted the radar for an antimissile system in Iran, but stopped short of hitting the country’s nuclear sites and oil facilities. Israel this time could strike Iran’s military and intelligence infrastructure.
Israeli strikes could have repercussions in Washington as the presidential election approaches and the economy is a top campaign issue. Oil prices rose last week after President Biden suggested that U.S. officials were considering whether to support an Israeli strike on Iranian oil facilities.
A day later, the president appeared at a White House press briefing to say Israel should refrain from attacking Iranian oil facilities.
Write to Nancy A. Youssef at nancy.youssef@wsj.com
