Israeli Cabinet minister hints attack on Iran ‘will be a surprise’

JERUSALEM / ISTANBUL

Israeli Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu alluded on Thursday that any potential Israeli military strike on Iran would be “a surprise” amid rising regional tensions.

“It's not certain that anyone among us knows when and how the attack on Iran will happen,” Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper quoted Eliyahu as saying, amid media reports about Israeli plans to strike Iran.

“Everyone remembers the sudden strike on (former Hezbollah Secretary-General) Hassan Nasrallah,” he added.

“In strategy, war is waged suddenly,” Eliyahu said, without providing further details.

His comments came as reports of stalled progress in indirect nuclear negotiations between the US and Iran fueled uncertainty in the Middle East.

The main sticking point in nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington remains Iran’s uranium enrichment program.

While the US demands a complete halt to enrichment, Iranian negotiators insist the program is non-negotiable and will continue with or without a deal.

US President Donald Trump, who has previously advocated for a military response if diplomacy fails, said on Wednesday he was less confident that Iran would agree to stop uranium enrichment.

Iranian Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh warned the same day that Iran would strike US military bases in the region if attacked.

The US, Israel, and several other countries accuse Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons. Tehran insists its nuclear program is peaceful and aimed at power generation.

Iran is seeking relief from international sanctions in exchange for limiting some aspects of its nuclear activities while maintaining its right to peaceful nuclear energy under international law.

Israel remains the only country in the region believed to possess a nuclear arsenal, though it has never officially acknowledged it and is not subject to international inspections.