Middle East crisis Israel vs Iran

Emergency Security Council meeting – ceasefire expected to be proposed

The UN Security Council has called for an emergency meeting on developments between Israel, Iran and the US later on Sunday evening, news agencies report.

Diplomatic sources tell Reuters that Russia, China and Pakistan are expected to submit a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East. A proposal that the US is likely to veto.

The emergency meeting is the third that the Security Council has called since Israel began its attacks on Iran last Friday.

Sources: Israel cleared the way for US bombers at Trump's request

48 hours before the US attack on Iran, the Israeli Air Force knocked out air defense systems along the route that the US bombers flew towards the Fordow enrichment facility. This is what both Israeli and US government sources tell Axios.

Shortly after Donald Trump announced last week that he was considering an attack on Iran, Israeli sources say Benjamin Netanyahu asked the question: “How can we help?”

Trump then asked the Israeli prime minister to destroy as many Iranian air defense systems as possible. The talks then continued at ministerial level, according to the information.

An Israeli source says they wanted to avoid a situation where the Americans felt forced by Israel to attack Iran.

“But fortunately for us, God hardened Pharaoh’s heart – Ayatollah Ali Khamenei behaved like an idiot and dismissed all proposals from the US,” the source continues.

Sources: Iranian revenge is said to be against Israel – not the US

In its response to the US bombings, the regime in Tehran must choose between limited revenge attacks or a harsher response that risks leading to even more US attacks, writes the Wall Street Journal.

Sources within the Iranian regime tell the Financial Times that retaliation will primarily be directed at US ally Israel in the form of intensified attacks.

“Let Trump be happy and confident. We will not enter a major war with the US,” the source says, pointing out that the US would have struck more places if the White House wanted a larger conflict.

Experts the WSJ spoke to list a range of possible scenarios, ranging from attacks on US bases in the Middle East to cyber operations. One option is to close the vital Strait of Hormuz, which Iran’s parliament has voted to do. A final decision rests with the country’s Security Council. 

The goals of the US attack