An anonymous Israeli official is claiming the country informed its Western allies Iran could trigger a preemptive missile strike if it enriches uranium above the 60% level.
The report, published Wednesday by Axios, follows the International Atomic Energy Agency's conclusion last month that Tehran has amassed 87.5 kilograms of 60% enriched uranium.
Particles enriched up to 83.7% were also found by the United Nations agency. That's only 6.3 percentage points away from what experts say is weapons-grade.
According to the official, Israel has thus far withheld issuing a public "red line" of 90% because the government fears Iran would start enriching and amassing uranium at a level just short of that.
But the country believes after informing the U.S. and Europe of its 60% warning, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's message has been passed on to Iranian officials.
"The Iranians totally internalized our position, and they know what our line is," the Israeli official insisted.
The Israeli government is now preparing for a potential military strike if Iran starts amassing above that percentage, the official noted.
Just recently, Israel asked for four KC-46 tankers that it purchased from the U.S. last year to be expedited. The reason, two officials stressed to Axios, is because the country's Air Force needs refueling in the event of a strike.
It comes after Colin Kahl, the Defense Department's undersecretary for policy, warned lawmakers that Iran would need "about 12 days" to enrich enough weapons-grade uranium to build one nuclear bomb.
The Defense official additionally explained that questions surrounding Iran's nuclear weapons program, initially halted by the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, have not yet been answered by U.S. intelligence.
"I think there is still the view that if you could resolve this issue diplomatically and put constraints back on their nuclear program, it is better than the other options," Kahl said. "But right now, the JCPOA is on ice."
© 2023 Newsmax. All rights reserved.