Israel Is Preparing to Bomb Iran…Again

Key Points and Summary – A month after U.S. and Israeli strikes, a tense “delicate dance” is unfolding over Iran’s nuclear program.

-In a recent meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu, President Trump, while preferring a diplomatic solution, did not object to Israel’s readiness to launch further strikes.

A U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II, assigned to the 421st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, prepares for take off at Kadena Air Base, Japan, July 1, 2025. The continuous rotation of aircraft to Kadena ensures the 18th Wing remains flexible and postured to deliver lethal and credible airpower to deter acts of aggression. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman Nathaniel Jackson)

-This stance comes as Israeli intelligence believes Iran could still recover a significant amount of near-bomb-grade uranium from the damaged Isfahan site.

-The situation has created a high-stakes standoff, with Washington leveraging the threat of future attacks to push Tehran toward a deal, while an unconvinced Israel prepares to act alone if necessary.

What Happens If Iran Recovers Its ‘Buried’ Uranium? A New War.

In mid-June, after weeks of bombing of Iran’s nuclear sites by Israel, the U.S. carried out strikes of its own, using B-2 bombers to deliver bunker-buster bombs to the Fordow nuclear site and other locations throughout Iran.

The attacks took place, Israel and Iran agreed to a ceasefire soon after, and the strikes did not lead to a wider or protracted war in the Middle East or any oil shock or other economic calamity, as many had feared. But while some in the West had hoped that the strikes would imperil the future of the Iranian regime, that doesn’t appear to have happened, either.

There have been bitter debates over whether or not President Donald Trump’s insistence that the nuclear sites had been “obliterated” was true, but the president is now talking about the circumstances under which another attack could be necessary.

A U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II assigned to the 60th Fighter Squadron, flies overhead after conducting a live weapons drop at Camp Shelby, Miss., Oct 25, 2023. During the exercise, pilots tested various munitions including the GBU-12s, GBU-31v1s, and 362 rounds of 25mm Training Munitions from the gun.

In late June, Trump had said that he would “absolutely” consider bombing Iran again.

“Why would the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, of the war-torn country of Iran, say so blatantly and foolishly that he won the war with Israel, when he knows his statement is a lie?” Trump said in a June 27 Truth Social post.

A Delicate Dance 

Then, last week, Trump raised the possibility again when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the White House for a victory lap.

According to The Wall Street Journal, which reported on the discussions that took place between the leaders behind closed doors, Trump said at the meeting with his Israeli counterpart that “I can’t imagine wanting to bomb Iran again, but that Netanyahu had told Trump in private that if Iran resumed moving toward a nuclear weapon, Israel would carry out further military strikes.”

Trump, per the report, told Netanyahu that he “favored a diplomatic settlement with Tehran,” but “didn’t otherwise object” to Israel’s view of the situation.

The Journal positioned the dynamic, nearly a month after the strikes, as “ conflicting calculations all three countries are facing.”

F-35I Adir. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

“Trump is counting on the threat of further attacks to pressure Tehran into an agreement that would foreclose it from building a nuclear weapon,” the Journal said. “Israel is skeptical a diplomatic settlement would prevent Iran from secretly rushing toward a nuclear weapon. And Tehran is demanding guarantees it won’t face more bombing in return for resuming talks with Washington.”

In addition, the Journal quoted a senior Israeli official as stating that Israel “wouldn’t necessarily seek explicit American approval to resume strikes on Iran,” although Trump would likely pressure the Israelis to commit to the diplomatic track.

And despite Trump’s assurances about “obliteration,” “Israel has concluded that some of Tehran’s stockpile of near-bomb-grade enriched uranium at Isfahan survived last month’s attacks and that with considerable effort Iran could recover some of the fissile material from that site,” the Journal said, citing that Israeli official’s thinking, although the official also said that Iran would not be able to retrieve uranium from its other sites, Natanz and Fordow.

U.S. Air Force Maj. Kristin “BEO” Wolfe, F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team pilot and commander, flies an F-35 assigned to the 421st Fighter Generation Squadron at the Wings Over Houston Airshow, Tx., Oct. 15, 2023. Wings Over Houston showcases vintage World War II aircraft alongside the thrills of modern aviation, and has supported a variety of local and national charities during its 39-year history. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Kaitlyn Ergish)

What Happens Next? 

According to the report, Iran would likely be able to detect any Iranian movement to reconstitute its nuclear program or retrieve the uranium from the sites, with Israel also potentially engaging in other operations to beat back the threat of Iran’s program.

“The Iranians are going to be extremely cautious,” American diplomatic and former Middle East peace negotiator Dennis Ross told the newspaper. “They are going to take the threats the Israelis make very seriously.”

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“My sense is that Trump mostly wants the Iran problem to just go away,” Gabriel Noronha, a State Department official who worked on the Iran portfolio in Trump’s first term, told the newspaper. “He’s clear that there should be no enrichment or nuclear weapons. But he’s willing to be flexible on other things.”

About the Author: Stephen Silver 

Stephen Silver is an award-winning journalist, essayist, and film critic, and contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review, and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. For over a decade, Stephen has authored thousands of articles that focus on politics, national security, technology, and the economy. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @StephenSilver, and subscribe to his Substack newsletter.

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