In the article titled "Israeli Army Requests Budget Increase to Prepare for Potential Iranian Nuclear Threat," the Arabic news site reported that the Israeli army is asking for a significant increase in its budget, amounting to billions of dollars, to adequately prepare for a potential attack against Iran's nuclear program. This request came during preliminary discussions on the budget, which the new government aims to approve in the coming months, according to public broadcasting agency reports, as shared by the Times of Israel.
The broadcasts noted that these negotiations are taking place as Israel begins to prepare for the possibility of the collapse of indirect negotiations between the United States and Iran in Vienna, intended to revive their multilateral nuclear agreement.
In a separate report by Channel 12, it was claimed that the security establishment accused former Prime Minister and current opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu of failing to properly prepare for such a scenario. Anonymous sources within the security establishment alleged that Netanyahu did not allocate funds for a military strike, which may be necessary in the coming months if Israel intends to attack Iran before it reaches nuclear breakout capability.
Such operations require significant preparations, and defense officials told Channel 12 that they are concerned that delays in planning could lead to a scenario where "Israel is waving a gun with no bullets in it." The network quoted a source close to Prime Minister Naftali Bennett criticizing his predecessor, claiming that "his negligence is what allowed Iran to reach the most advanced stage of its nuclear program so far."
Earlier on Wednesday, the pro-Netanyahu Israel Hayom newspaper published an article by the opposition leader, arguing that the new government led by Bennett is "silent" because "the Iranians are rushing towards the bomb." It appears that the chances of failure in Vienna were heightened on Wednesday after a diplomatic official told Reuters that Iran informed intermediaries that they would not return to negotiations until the outgoing president Hassan Rouhani is replaced by hardliner Ebrahim Raisi next month.
In response, Defense Minister Benny Gantz called on Wednesday for Israel to intensify its preparations for the possibility of Iran obtaining nuclear weapons. Gantz stated at a graduation ceremony at the Israeli National Defense College outside Tel Aviv: "Iran is arming itself with nuclear weapons, and we have no choice but to expand our forces, continue to rely on our human capital, and adapt our capabilities and plans."
In his speech, Gantz urged the government to allow the country's security agencies "to maintain military supremacy, ensuring our security and advancing peace." He emphasized that "all these threats require us to accelerate and increase our readiness to carry out our mission with an iron wall of action, not just words."
