Israel warns U.S. that Iran may be preparing chemical weapons attacks, but American and Gulf officials question the intelligence

Israel has shared intelligence with the United States warning that Iran may be developing the capability to launch chemical weapons attacks against its adversaries, but the assessments have divided American officials and drawn skepticism from Gulf governments, The New York Times reported Tuesday.

According to the November 3 report, Israeli intelligence officials have warned their American counterparts over the past two weeks that Tehran could deliver chemical agents through ballistic missiles, drones or covert operations inside other countries.

Israeli officials have portrayed the potential chemical weapons threat as more immediate than Iran’s nuclear ambitions, arguing that Tehran is rapidly developing the means to carry out such attacks.

However, officials within the Trump administration disagree over the credibility of the intelligence and whether Iran is actually preparing to use chemical weapons.

Some American officials suspect that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government is using the warnings to persuade President Donald Trump to resume large-scale military operations against Iran. Others believe the intelligence warrants serious attention, particularly given Tehran's threats against the United States and its regional allies.

Israel has also briefed officials in Gulf countries about the alleged threat. Several regional officials expressed doubts about the assessments, saying Israeli representatives had not provided convincing evidence that Iran was preparing a chemical weapons attack.

The disagreements have emerged as Washington weighs its next steps toward Tehran following months of military confrontation and renewed diplomatic efforts to prevent another major escalation.

Trump has repeatedly warned that further strikes remain possible if negotiations fail, while regional governments have urged Washington to pursue a diplomatic settlement.

The dispute over Israeli intelligence comes amid broader questions about how Washington evaluates security warnings from its allies. Reuters reported in August that U.S. intelligence agencies had been unable to independently corroborate several earlier Israeli warnings about alleged Iranian assassination plots against Trump.

The latest Israeli assessments have not established that Iran has made a decision to use chemical weapons, and the reported intelligence has not produced a publicly announced change in U.S. military policy.