Israel Will Strike Iran Without Warning U.S.: Intelligence Source

Israel may be planning to launch an attack on Iran without warning its most important ally, a U.S. intelligence official familiar with the bilateral discussions between the two nations has said.

The intelligence official, who wished to remain anonymous, said Israeli authorities would keep the U.S. in the dark to reduce the likelihood that Washington would be held responsible for failing to stop Israel from initiating a crisis situation in the already turbulent Middle East, the Associated Press reported. But Tel Aviv's stance also signifies its frustration over Washington's reluctance to support Israel in initiating a military action, the AP report said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak are said to have informed the U.S. officials about their decision to go ahead with military action-- if and when required -- probably without direct help from the U.S., in a series of top-level conversations.

The Netanyahu administration conveyed its decision to the U.S. officials including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the White House national security adviser and the director of national intelligence and top U.S. lawmakers, during their recent visit to Israel.

The Obama administration wants Israel to wait for a few more months since that would provide enough time to see if the international sanctions and penalties had the desired effect on Iran.

The news has come ahead of Netanyahu's crucial visit to the U.S. scheduled to be in the first week of March.

Netanyahu had recently barred his cabinet from speaking publicly about Iran's allegedly clandestine nuclear weapons program, which poses an existential threat to the Jewish state.

In a recent Senate Armed Services Committee hearing about the existing hostilities between the U.S. and Iran, American intelligence officials said it is unlikely that Iran will start military action against the U.S.

Israeli authorities apparently have yet to reach consensus regarding military action to thwart Iranian nukes.

Recently, Israel's President Shimon Peres was reported to have said that he believes Israel shouldn't attack Iran in near future, while terming the warmongering by Israeli spokesmen as unceasing self-intimidation.

Peres, scheduled to visit U.S. next month, is expected to tell Obama that Israel isn't looking forward to strike Iran.

U.S. media reports have already been vocal about Netanyahu government's opacity over matters relating to its crisis situation involving Iran. It was reported that defense minister Barak is the one pushing for a preemptive military strike on Iran, despite differences of opinions within the Israeli top officials.

The White House has not responded to the AP report divulging its lack of say in a matter that can have dire consequences on its international diplomatic relations. The U.S. Department of Defense and the Israeli administration also declined to comment on the revelation.