Israel Warns U.S. Iran May Be Preparing to Use Chemical Weapons

Israel has provided the United States with intelligence indicating that Iran may be preparing to use chemical weapons against its adversaries, raising concerns among American officials amid mounting tensions between Washington and Tehran, according to a report Tuesday.

The intelligence, shared with American officials over the past two weeks, indicates that Tehran is considering chemical weapons attacks, the New York Times reported. Israeli officials have portrayed the threat as more urgent than Iran’s nuclear ambitions, although the assessments have drawn sharply differing reactions within the U.S. government.

According to American officials familiar with the briefings, Israeli intelligence agencies believe Iran is moving rapidly to develop the technology needed to equip ballistic missiles with chemical warheads or smuggle chemical weapons into Israel or other countries for use in an attack. Drones have also been identified as a possible means of delivering chemical agents.

American intelligence agencies have monitored Iran’s chemical weapons activities for decades, with successive assessments raising concerns about Tehran’s pursuit of chemical agents for potential offensive use. A 2024 assessment by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence warned that Iran “probably aims to continue research and development of chemical and biological agents for offensive purposes.”

While American intelligence officials broadly agree that Iran is developing chemical weapons capabilities, they remain divided over whether Tehran would actually use such weapons, particularly without further American or Israeli strikes.

Some officials regard the Israeli warnings as serious, citing recent intelligence about Iranian threats against American interests. Others are more skeptical, with some questioning whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is seeking to encourage Washington to resume large-scale military operations against Iran.

Officials briefed on the intelligence also differ over how quickly Iran could make chemical weapons operational and whether it could deploy them effectively. Although mounting a chemical warhead on a ballistic missile is relatively straightforward, ensuring that the weapon disperses its chemical agent effectively presents significant technical challenges, according to weapons experts and American officials. Smuggling such weapons across international borders poses additional difficulties.

Israel has also shared its assessments with Gulf governments, warning that Iran is working to make chemical weapons operational. However, a regional official said Israeli representatives did not provide supporting evidence during the briefings, while several officials in the region reportedly questioned the seriousness of the claims.

A spokesman for Netanyahu’s office responded to the reported threat, declaring, “Israel closely tracks every threat posed by the Iranian terror regime and is prepared to deal with it.”

Iran has denied possessing chemical weapons and previously dismissed Israeli allegations as psychological warfare. Tehran acknowledged in 2003 that it had developed chemical weapons capabilities during its conflict with Iraq in the 1980s but maintained that the program was subsequently dismantled.

The intelligence warning comes amid heightened American concerns about Iranian attacks against U.S. personnel and interests abroad. In an October 23 memorandum to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton warned of Iranian threats, prompting heightened security precautions for American diplomatic and other personnel.

U.S. intelligence agencies now assess that threats against Americans in the Middle East and several other countries are at their highest level since the conflict began in February, according to the report.

Against that backdrop, the United States has continued building up its military presence in the region, deploying additional naval vessels, fighter aircraft and bombers as President Donald Trump weighs further action against Iran. U.S. Central Command has developed contingency plans for renewed strikes that could begin as early as Wednesday, following Tuesday’s midterm elections, should Trump authorize an operation, according to American officials cited in the report.

The buildup comes amid continued, limited American military operations against Iranian targets, including Monday’s strikes on air-defense positions on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz after Iranian forces reportedly fired a surface-to-air missile at a U.S. aircraft.

Trump confirmed the Qeshm Island operation Tuesday, saying American forces had monitored construction of the targeted Iranian air-defense facility for approximately two months before destroying it.

“They built an anti-aircraft facility. It took them about two months. We watched it get built, as soon as it was completed, we hit it last night very nicely,” Trump said.

Iranian commanders have threatened retaliation extending beyond the Middle East if the United States resumes large-scale strikes, while negotiations remain deadlocked over Tehran’s demands.

Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said Tuesday that Washington had failed to adequately address Iran’s seven conditions for an agreement, insisting that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until those demands were met.

Trump has continued pursuing a diplomatic agreement with Tehran while maintaining economic and military pressure on the Iranian regime, leaving open the possibility of further strikes if negotiations fail.

The president said Monday there was a “very good chance” of reaching a deal, reiterating his preference for an agreement that could “save a lot of lives.” Nevertheless, Trump has indicated he is in no hurry to authorize further military action, even as American forces remain positioned for a potential escalation following Tuesday’s midterm elections.