Netanyahu Orders Intensified Air Campaign on Iran

(MENAFN) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has directed the armed forces to accelerate their aerial offensive against Iran for a 48-hour period, aiming to eliminate as much of the nation’s weapons infrastructure as possible before Washington potentially advances toward a ceasefire, the New York Times reported on Wednesday.

This instruction followed Netanyahu’s administration acquiring a copy of a US-prepared 15-point proposal designed to bring the conflict to an end. Officials reportedly determined that the plan failed to sufficiently tackle Iran’s nuclear activities or its ballistic missile capabilities. According to the Times, Israeli authorities are concerned that US President Donald Trump might declare the start of peace negotiations at any time.

Regarding the reported proposal, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt advised restraint, noting she had seen a plan "floated in the media" but emphasized that the White House had not officially verified it. "There are elements of truth to it, but some of the stories I read were not entirely factual," she added.

Netanyahu delivered the directive during a session at a military command center on Tuesday, after receiving updates from top commanders about remaining feasible targets.

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