CNN: US forces ready to hit Iran within 96 hours, Israel asked to wait

Israel prepared in recent days to attack Iran, but the United States asked it to hold off and indicated that a joint operation could follow later, according to a report by the American broadcaster CNN that was summarised by several Israeli outlets. CNN also reported that US forces are positioned to carry out broad operations within 96 hours of an order from President Donald Trump.

According to the report, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pressed for a strike, including a joint one, before the elections, but Trump did not approve it. The Times of Israel reported that the Prime Minister's Office rejected the account, and News.co.il quoted the office's response in two words: "fake news."

What CNN is said to have reported

The Israeli summaries of the CNN story agree on its main points. Political commentator Amit Segal, posting on his Telegram channel, listed three: Israel had readied an attack, the Americans requested a delay while signalling a shared operation down the line, and the US military can strike within 96 hours of a presidential order.

Ynet reported that CNN framed the matter as a question of timing rather than of whether a strike will happen at all. Ynet's headline summarised the report's central claim as Trump not giving Netanyahu a "green light." The Jerusalem Post led on the American readiness figure and on Israel pressing for a combined attack.

The role of Israel's military chief

CNN cited a conversation between Zamir, Israel's chief of staff, and the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff as one reason the strike did not go ahead, according to Segal and News.co.il. The chief of staff is the most senior officer in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF); the chairman of the Joint Chiefs is the highest-ranking officer in the US military and the president's principal military adviser.

In that call, Zamir is reported to have argued that such a move would harm the elections. News.co.il's version renders his concern more specifically, as damage to the integrity of the elections.

Official responses

Beyond the Prime Minister's Office dismissal, Ynet reported that Katz denied that Israel intends to initiate an attack on Iran before the elections. Ynet noted that he did not address whether Israel might take an action that could lead to a miscalculation, meaning a step that provokes a wider confrontation without a formal decision to launch one.

None of the reports carries a response from the White House or the US military.

Where the accounts differ

The summaries describe Washington's position with different degrees of firmness. Segal writes that the Americans asked Israel to wait. News.co.il says the US opposed the strike. The Times of Israel headline says Trump refused. Ynet, quoting the CNN report, says Trump did not approve a joint attack.

The timing also varies. Segal places Israel's preparations in recent days, while News.co.il says Israeli officials tried to carry out a strike over the past weekend.

The Jerusalem Post illustrated its story with a photograph from an earlier White House news conference about the war in Iran, a reminder that the two countries' confrontation with Tehran is not new. The current reports concern a possible further round.

What the reports do not say

• None of the summaries names CNN's sources or says how many there were.
• The reports do not describe what targets Israel was preparing to strike or what a joint operation would involve.
• They do not give a date or timeframe for the later joint action CNN says Washington signalled.
• The Hebrew summaries do not spell out why a strike would affect the elections, or which part of the process Zamir was concerned about.
• It is not stated whether the 96-hour readiness reflects a new posture or an existing one.