The United States has gathered fresh intelligence suggesting Israel is actively preparing for a potential strike against Iranian nuclear facilities, even as the Trump administration pursues a diplomatic resolution with Tehran, CNN reported, citing multiple American officials familiar with the matter.

Officials familiar with the intelligence described the potential move as a dramatic rupture with President Donald Trump’s current policy and warned that such an action could ignite a wider conflict in a region already inflamed by the ongoing war in Gaza since 2023.

While U.S. officials stressed that no final decision appears to have been made in Jerusalem, they acknowledged that assessments within the U.S. government vary widely on whether Israel will ultimately proceed with a strike. A key variable, they said, will be how Israeli leadership evaluates the outcome of Washington’s negotiations with Tehran.

“The chance of an Israeli strike on an Iranian nuclear facility has gone up significantly in recent months,” one source familiar with the intelligence told CNN. “And the prospect of a Trump-negotiated US-Iran deal that doesn’t remove all of Iran’s uranium makes the chance of a strike more likely.”

Concerns have intensified based on both public and private signals from senior Israeli officials about the possibility of military action. Intelligence sources pointed to intercepted communications and movements within Israel’s armed forces as potential indicators that preparations are underway.

Among the observed activities are the relocation of air munitions and the recent completion of a large-scale air exercise, according to two individuals briefed on the intelligence. However, officials also caution that these maneuvers could serve as a warning intended to pressure Tehran into concessions rather than a prelude to imminent action.

President Trump has publicly threatened to resort to military measures if his diplomatic efforts to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions fall short. In a letter delivered in mid-March to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Trump reportedly set a 60-day deadline for talks to yield results. That window has now closed, with 38 days having passed since the initial round of negotiations.

A senior Western diplomat who recently met with the President said Trump made clear that diplomacy would only be given “weeks” before considering military action. For now, however, the administration remains focused on a negotiated outcome.

This diplomatic strategy has put Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a difficult position, according to Jonathan Panikoff, a former senior U.S. intelligence official. Netanyahu, he said, faces dual pressures: to reject any deal that fails to meet Israel’s standards, while maintaining strategic alignment with Trump, despite prior policy rifts.

“At the end of the day, the Israeli decision-making is going to be predicated on U.S. policy determinations and actions, and what agreements President Trump does or does not come to with Iran,” Panikoff said. He added that he does not believe Netanyahu would risk damaging ties with Washington by launching a strike without at least implicit U.S. approval.

U.S. and Israeli assessments indicate that Iran’s military posture is at its weakest point in decades. A series of Israeli strikes in October reportedly degraded Tehran’s missile production capabilities and air defenses. Combined with harsh economic sanctions and the collapse of several Iran-backed regional militias, Israel may view the current moment as a strategic opportunity.

According to a senior U.S. official, American intelligence agencies have ramped up monitoring efforts in case Israel opts to act. Still, a separate source familiar with Trump administration thinking said the U.S. is unlikely to assist Israel in any strikes on Iranian nuclear sites unless provoked by Tehran.

Israel would face major logistical and operational challenges in attempting to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program without U.S. support. Experts say it lacks the midair refueling capabilities and bunker-busting munitions necessary to strike heavily fortified sites — a view reflected in past American intelligence assessments.

Nevertheless, an Israeli source told CNN that if Washington were to finalize what Israel considers a “bad deal” with Iran, Jerusalem would be ready to act unilaterally.

“I think it’s more likely they strike to try and get the deal to fall apart if they think Trump is going to settle for a ‘bad deal,’” another person familiar with U.S. intelligence said. “The Israelis have not been shy about signaling that to us … both publicly and privately.”

A U.S. intelligence estimate from February concluded that Israel could resort to either airstrikes or long-range missiles, taking advantage of Iran’s reduced air defenses. However, the same assessment warned that such attacks would likely only delay Iran’s nuclear program, not dismantle it.

“It’s a real challenge for Netanyahu,” Panikoff remarked.

Diplomatic negotiations between Washington and Tehran have stalled over Iran’s uranium enrichment activities, a dual-use process that can fuel both civilian reactors and nuclear weapons.

Steve Witkoff, the special envoy leading the U.S. team, told ABC News that the administration is insisting on zero enrichment under any agreement.

“We cannot allow even 1% of an enrichment capability,” he said, adding that Washington had offered a proposal that “addresses some of this without disrespecting them.”

Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei rejected the notion on Tuesday, dismissing the U.S. demand as a “big mistake” and casting doubt on whether talks will yield results. Tehran maintains that enrichment is its sovereign right under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and insists it will not surrender that right under any circumstances.

Witkoff indicated another round of talks could take place in Europe this week. Both sides have tabled proposals, but there is currently no offer bearing President Trump’s final approval, according to sources.

In February, U.S. intelligence agencies reportedly warned that Israel may attempt to strike Iranian nuclear infrastructure this year.

“It has consistently been the Israeli position that the military option is the only option to stopping Iran’s military nuclear program,” one American official noted.