Israel Awaits Green Light from US to Strike Iran's Missile System
Israel is reportedly awaiting a green light from the United States to launch strikes against Iran’s ballistic missile system. Assessments by Israeli security agencies indicate a growing likelihood of a Washington-led attack on Tehran, as tensions continue to escalate.
Israeli television channel KAN reported on Wednesday evening (18 February), as cited by Anadolu Agency on Thursday (19 February 2026), that Israel is preparing for the possibility of receiving US approval to strike Iran’s ballistic missile systems.
KAN emphasised in its report that the scenario of Tel Aviv attacking Tehran’s ballistic missiles has emerged amid widespread focus on whether US President Donald Trump will order a military strike against Iran.
Assessments by Israeli security agencies over the past 24 hours, according to Israeli daily Haaretz, indicate an increased likelihood of a US strike on Iran, following the latest round of negotiations between the two countries held in Geneva, Switzerland, on Tuesday (17 February).
“According to assessments by security agencies, and contrary to Iran’s public statements at the conclusion of the Geneva talks, there remains a significant gap that cannot be bridged by the US, particularly the demand that Iran cease uranium enrichment on its own territory,” Haaretz reported.
“Given that negotiations have reached a deadlock, Israel anticipates that Trump will resort to the military option within a shorter timeframe than had been anticipated in recent days,” Haaretz reported.
The Haaretz report also noted that “in Israel, the possibility of the Israeli military taking an active role in combating Iran is not being ruled out in the event of a US strike.”
Haaretz further reported close coordination between the US and Israel in the fields of intelligence, information technology, military communications, and air defence.
US Reportedly Ready to Strike Iran by Weekend
Amid the uncertain situation, reports from leading US media outlets such as CNN and CBS suggest that the US military could be ready to launch strikes against Iran as early as this weekend, although Trump has not yet made a final decision.
The White House, according to several sources cited by CNN, has been briefed that the military could be ready to launch strikes by the weekend, following a significant increase in the deployment of US air force and naval assets in the Middle East in recent days.
In addition to the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and other US warships, the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R Ford — the most advanced carrier in the US arsenal — is reportedly expected to arrive in the Middle East region as early as this weekend.
Meanwhile, US Air Force assets based in Britain, including refuelling aircraft and a number of fighter jets, are being positioned closer to the region.
However, one source cautioned that Trump has personally argued both for and against military action on Iran, and has been seeking the opinions of his advisers and allies on the best course of action.
So far, it remains unclear whether Trump will reach a decision by the weekend. “He is spending a lot of time thinking about this,” one source cited by CNN said.
Trump, who ordered strikes against Iran last year, has repeatedly threatened Tehran with further military action should the ongoing negotiations fail to reach a replacement agreement for the nuclear deal that the US President himself cancelled in 2018.