NYT: US was angry that Israel did not warn them about the attack in Syria
US officials were angry that Israel launched an aggressive attack on Iran’s consulate in Syria without consulting Washington in advance, and only sent a “low-level” notification following the strike, the New York Times reported, citing sources and internal records reviewed.
“Publicly, U.S. officials expressed support for Israel, but privately they were angry that Israel was taking such aggressive action against Iran without consulting Washington,” the publication wrote.
It is noted that American officials found themselves in a “strange and uncomfortable position”: they were kept in the dark about the important actions of their close ally Israel, even though Iran, a long-time adversary, had announced in advance its intentions to retaliate against Israel. According to U.S. officials, not only did the Israeli side waited until the last minute to inform Washington of its plans, but it also sent the U.S. a “relatively low-level notification” following the strike in Syria. In addition, the Americans were not told how sensitive the target of the strike in Syria would be. It is noted, however, that its planning began two months in advance.
According to the New York Times, the Israelis later admitted that they “grossly underestimated the impact of the strike,” and according to many American officials, Israeli officials “badly miscalculated, believing that Iran would not respond forcefully.”
“In fact, Israeli leaders were close to ordering widespread strikes against Iran on the night it attacked,” the publication adds.