Israel tips off US that Iran could turn to chemical weapons, report says

Israel has told Washington that Iran could resort to chemical weapons against its adversaries, according to sources cited by The New York Times on Tuesday. The warning landed as a fresh jolt in already shaky negotiations between Tehran and the White House.

US officials are split on what the intelligence actually means. Some reportedly read Israel's disclosures as a push by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to nudge the Trump administration back into military action against Iran. Others say the information deserves to be taken at face value.

The timing is tense. President Donald Trump confirmed Monday that the US carried out new airstrikes on southern Iran, while Qatari mediators were told by Washington that it accepts a peace proposal and is waiting on Iran's answer, according to a senior source who spoke to Saudi outlet Al Arabiya.

Tehran isn't signaling yes. National Security Council secretary Mohsen Rezaei said on X that the US response on Iran's rights and demands fell short, and that the Strait of Hormuz stays shut until Washington addresses all seven of Iran's conditions and acts on them.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei also knocked down reports of a preliminary deal, telling Iranian state broadcaster IRIB that past experience rules out optimism about America's seriousness in diplomacy. He did confirm messages are still being exchanged, and said Tehran won't pass up any diplomatic opening.

Inside Israel, the political ground is shifting too. Opposition figure Gadi Eisenkot ripped into Netanyahu on Monday after Trump said Washington would cut financial aid to Israel, arguing the security establishment and ordinary Israelis are learning about changes to the strategic relationship through the media.