"Driving the news: Barnea's trip follows a phone call on Wednesday between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the Iran crisis. During the call, Netanyahu asked Trump to hold off on military action against Iran to give Israel more time to prepare for potential Iranian retaliation. An Israeli source said that in addition to concerns about retaliation, the current U.S. plan includes strikes on security force targets in Iran, but is not seen by Israel as strong enough to meaningfully destabilize the regime."
"What to watch: The U.S. military is sending additional defensive and offensive capabilities to the region to be ready in case Trump orders a strike, U.S. sources say. The Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and its strike group are making their way to the Middle East from the South China Sea. More air defense systems, fighter jets and possibly submarines are also expected to arrive in the region."
Barnea is expected to meet in Miami with White House envoy Steve Witkoff, who manages the direct channel between the U.S. and Iran, while Witkoff has been in touch with Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi. A Mar-a-Lago meeting with President Trump is uncertain. The trip follows a Trump-Netanyahu call in which Netanyahu asked for a delay in U.S. military action to allow Israel to prepare for possible Iranian retaliation. U.S. officials say strikes remain an option if Iran resumes killing protesters. The U.S. is sending additional defensive and offensive forces, including the Abraham Lincoln carrier, air defenses, fighter jets and possibly submarines. Araghchi proposed resuming nuclear talks; Israeli officials fear Iran could use negotiations to buy time, though some officials hope the crisis could extract concessions on nuclear, missile, and proxy programs.
Read at Axios
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