Israeli army chief predicts US attack on Iran 'within two weeks to two months'

Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir has said that the US could attack Iran within a timeframe ranging from two weeks to two months, Israeli Army Radio reported on Sunday.

This means that an immediate attack is unlikely in the next few days, according to the radio station.

Zamir reportedly said during a situational assessment meeting held recently that “the current period is overshadowed by a great deal of uncertainty.”

Israeli Army Radio claimed that the United States “does not share everything it has with Israel and sidelines it from its decision-making processes.”

However, The Times of Israel reported that Zamir had visited the US over the weekend for talks on Iran with US defence officials.

The Trump administration has threatened strikes against Iran ever since Iranian authorities brutally suppressed protests against worsening economic conditions, with thousands of people killed.

Dozens of meetings and consultations between Israel and the US have reportedly been held at various levels to coordinate a potential strike and prepare for a possible response from Tehran.

These included a visit by the head of US Central Command (CENTCOM), General Brad Cooper, to Israel, followed by a visit by the head of Israeli military intelligence (Aman), Shlomi Binder, to the United States.

Despite Washington and Tehran both saying that they are still open to negotiations, Army Radio quoted senior security officials as saying that the coming weeks will remain tense.

They linked this to Iran’s upcoming commemoration of the 47^th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, which takes place between February 1 and 11, and the forty-day commemoration of the killing of thousands of Iranian protesters last month.

The 1979 Islamic Revolution which brought Iran’s current authorities to power saw the fall of Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi. Pahlavi’s son Reza, who lives in the US and has favourable relations with Israel, has tried to position himself as a leader of the Iranian protest movement but many protesters have rejected this.

Army Radio also reported on disagreements within the current Iranian leadership. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is said to oppose making concessions in negotiations with the United States and remains committed to hardline positions, while other officials within the Iranian system favour a more flexible approach to negotiations, according to the Israeli radio station.

Despite these internal differences, Israel is reportedly concerned that the US administration may reach an agreement with Iran limited solely to the nuclear issue, while excluding ballistic missiles.

Israeli officials warned that U.S. President Donald Trump “could say he has reached a better deal than (former president Barack) Obama, but it would still be a bad deal for Israel and the entire region, because the Iranians would continue producing missiles in massive quantities and would continue operating their proxies.”