Although Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claims that the recent war resulted in the destruction of Iran’s nuclear program, most Israeli assessments suggest that the joint US-Israeli strikes inflicted significant damage but fell short of completely dismantling it. Israel now has three options for addressing Iran’s nuclear ambitions: “the Lebanese option” which involves sustained military strikes aimed at preventing Iran from rebuilding its nuclear infrastructure; “the Libyan option” which centers on pursuing a nuclear agreement between Iran and the US; or “the Syrian option,” which entails supporting regime change in Tehran as a means of permanently eliminating the nuclear threat. US President Donald Trump appears to favor a negotiated solutions and may offer Tehran guarantees to rejoin talks. However, he is expected to maintain the Israeli threat as leverage. Should Washington fail to secure a nuclear agreement that satisfies Israeli security concerns, Tel Aviv is likely to resort to the “Lebanese model” of sustained military deterrence.
Emirates Policy Center | Israel’s Options to Deal with Iran’s Nuclear Program after the 12-Day War
