An Israeli security official confirmed to the Jerusalem Post that the situation with Iran is still “charged,” noting that Israel is keeping its forces at the highest levels of readiness in anticipation of any sudden development.
Israeli security sources told the newspaper that the operation carried out by the International Atomic Energy Agency to remove nuclear materials from a site in Syria may constitute, according to its assessment, a model that can be relied upon if similar arrangements are reached regarding highly enriched uranium in Iran.
These positions came after a report published by the “Axios” website, which talked about an unannounced agreement between Washington, Damascus, and Tel Aviv, stipulating that the International Atomic Energy Agency was tasked with evacuating a top-secret Syrian site known as “Site 99” of its nuclear stockpiles.
According to the report, the site dates back to the period of Bashar al-Assad’s rule, and it is suspected that it was used to store sensitive nuclear materials, including what is known as “yellowcake,” which is a raw material involved in the nuclear fuel cycle.
The file is also linked to the “Al-Kibar” reactor in the Deir ez-Zor countryside, which was bombed by Israel in 2007, while later reports indicated that nuclear waste remained in other sites that were not affected by the raid, including “Site 99.”
According to Israeli sources, Tel Aviv had previously threatened to target the site again if nuclear materials were not transferred from it, or if it detected movements aiming to reach it.
In this context, the Israeli security official said that the situation with Iran “is still tense,” adding that Israel continues to maintain the highest levels of preparedness because no one knows when “the situation may explode.”
He also pointed out that Israeli Army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir directed the forces to raise their readiness for any emergency, in coordination with the American side.
These statements come at a time when Washington and Tehran are continuing negotiations related to the Strait of Hormuz, amid talk of progress in the talks. Tehran had indicated the completion of drafting a framework agreement with the Sultanate of Oman, while US Vice President J.D. Vance spoke about making progress on this path.
The talks, according to the declared positions, focus on ensuring the continued flow of oil and gas through the strait, at a time when the Sultanate of Oman confirms that the negotiations are taking place in a positive atmosphere, with calls to avoid any steps that might hinder the recorded progress.
