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An American attack on Iran’s nukes would begin with “hundreds of cruise missiles” meant to demolish Iranian air defenses, intelligence facilities and radar stations, Israeli newspapers report.
The missile barrage would be followed by a wave of bunker-buster bombs dropped from B-52s that would destroy the nuclear facilities themselves.
“After the attack, an ultimatum would be issued to Iran to stop its military nuclear program immediately. In return, the West would supply it with peaceful nuclear reactors,” the Tel Aviv paper Maariv reported.
The bombshell revelations come days after Defense Secretary Leon Panetta visited Israel to assure government leaders that the United States will protect Israel from Iran’s nuclear plans.
“We will not allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon — period,” Panetta reportedly told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“We will exert all options in the effort to ensure that that does not happen.”
But Israeli officials seemed unwilling to accept Panetta’s assurances that President Obama has their backs, media reports say.
“Obama will not attack Iran — never,” Netanyahu was quoted as telling Shaul Mofaz, the opposition leader. “In his second term, Obama will care even less about us than he cares now.”
Panetta’s revelation of the US attack plan was meant to dissuade Israel from carrying out its own airstrike.
Some Israelis believe that Obama was trying to make sure Israel wouldn’t attack Iran before the November election.
The US attack would come in another year or two, after Iran more fully develops its nuclear program, the reports say.
American diplomats argue that a delayed US attack would annihilate the entire Iranian program, while an Israeli attack in the coming months would delay an Iranian bomb by two years at most.
Leaks about Panetta’s visit appeared in Maariv and another daily, Yedioth Ahronoth. Both papers have campaigned against a pre-emptive Israeli airstrike.
Tensions between the United States and Israel over the issue have simmered beneath the surface.
Panetta has voiced displeasure with Israel privately, according to Israeli sources who say he’s frustrated over “mistrust” that Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak have demonstrated.
Netanyahu, who’s reserved Israel’s right to strike Iran if it feels threatened, and Barak have both openly voiced doubts about America’s reassurances that it will prevent Iran from building a nuclear weapon.
Last week, the United States imposed tougher sanctions against Iran, targeting banks in China and Iraq for aiding Iranian financial institutions, and expanding checks on Iranian exports.