Israel Shares Intelligence With U.S. Claiming Iran Is Considering Chemical Weapons

Israel has shared intelligence with the United States asserting that Iran is considering the use of chemical weapons against its adversaries, according to The New York Times. The claim has produced disagreement inside the American government, the newspaper reported, with some U.S. administration officials suggesting that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to draw President Trump back into military action.

Chemical weapons are toxic substances used as weapons, and their use is governed by international agreements. Iran is a party to the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Biological Weapons Convention, two treaties covering such arms, as well as the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, which deals with nuclear weapons.

The allegation comes against a backdrop of direct military action. Israeli missiles struck a major pharmaceutical company in Tehran, which Israel says is responsible for developing chemical weapons, according to The New York Times. Israel has also said that Iran was on the verge of developing nuclear weapons, a charge Iran rejects, saying its atomic program is only for peaceful purposes.

Divisions over the wider campaign have surfaced before. The U.S. spy chief said that American and Israeli war aims in Iran are not the same. Earlier, Iran accused the United States of being complicit in Israel's attacks on Iran, and the United States denied it.

Some American sources, according to Ynetnews, view the Israeli intelligence on Iranian chemical weapons as part of a pressure campaign by Netanyahu.

Washington has previously acted on chemical weapons concerns. In 2024, the U.S. Department of State imposed sanctions, which are official penalties that restrict financial dealings, on Hakiman Shargh Research Company for its involvement in Iran's chemical weapons research and development, according to a State Department statement. An earlier State Department statement said the United States condemns any Iranian regime involvement in a chemical weapons program and will sanction those involved in such activity.

Israel's intelligence assessment about Iran's intentions has not been publicly detailed, and the U.S. officials quoted by the newspaper have not agreed on how it should be weighed.