Israel is preparing for the possibility of resuming military strikes against Iran independently, without U.S. approval or operational support, according to a report by Israel’s Channel 13.

The reported preparations underscore a widening strategic question between Jerusalem and Washington: what happens if Israel concludes that an Iranian threat demands immediate action while the Trump administration remains focused on diplomacy.

The possibility of an independent operation is not merely theoretical. Defense Minister Israel Katz previously revealed that he ordered the IDF to prepare what he called a “blue-and-white” operation against Iran, meaning an Israeli-led campaign. Katz said the military was on alert and already had targets prepared, while stressing that Israel would not interfere with President Donald Trump’s diplomatic efforts unless Israeli security demanded action.

More recently, Katz publicly acknowledged a concrete disagreement with Washington over Iranian energy infrastructure. He said Israel “very much” wanted to strike those targets, but that the United States was not approving such an attack because of fears Iran would retaliate against neighboring Gulf states and trigger a global oil crisis. Katz nevertheless warned that Israel was prepared to inflict far greater damage on the Islamic Republic.

The latest report comes as Washington continues trying to negotiate an arrangement with Tehran. Iran and Oman say they are close to an agreement concerning shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, but Tehran is demanding additional U.S. concessions before fully reopening the critical waterway. Those demands include compensation, sanctions relief and an end to what Iran calls U.S. threats and attacks. At the same time, the UAE accused Iran of launching another missile attack against a vessel transiting the strait, highlighting how fragile the diplomatic track remains.

There is no indication that Israel has made a final decision to launch another independent attack. But the message from Jerusalem is becoming increasingly clear: American diplomacy may affect Israel’s timing, but Israeli officials do not intend to surrender the country’s freedom to act against Iran if they determine the threat requires it.