US Secretary of State Marco Rubio commented on the possibility of an Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear facilities in an interview with CBS. He stressed that Israel always acts in its national interests, but declined to discuss specific strategies that could be used for such attacks. Rubio also noted that the US has not received any messages from Iran regarding the resumption of negotiations on its nuclear program, emphasizing that previous diplomatic efforts by Tehran were aimed only at buying time for the continuation of uranium enrichment.

Earlier, on February 16, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, at a joint press conference with Secretary of State Rubio in Jerusalem, said that with the support of US President Donald Trump, Israel intends to "finish the job" of countering the Iranian threat. Netanyahu stressed that the two countries are working together to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and to stop its aggression in the region. He also announced that he would send an Israeli delegation to Cairo to discuss the ongoing ceasefire in Gaza.

At the same time, according to U.S. intelligence, Israel is considering significant strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities this year and is counting on Washington’s support. Analyst reports prepared in the final days of the Biden presidency and the early days of the Trump administration have pointed to an increased risk of an Israeli attack on Iran. Sources say Israel may be pressuring the Trump administration to support such action.

However, there are doubts in the United States about the effectiveness of possible Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Some officials believe that such attacks would not be able to delay Iran's nuclear program for long. At the same time, Israeli officials are confident in their country's ability to cause significant damage to Iran's nuclear infrastructure.

Iran, for its part, has declared its readiness to negotiate with the United States on its nuclear program, but not under pressure. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stressed that Tehran does not intend to capitulate to the "maximum pressure" policy and demands the lifting of sanctions in exchange for cooperation. He also noted that Iran does not seek to develop nuclear weapons and is ready to provide guarantees of the peaceful nature of its nuclear program, provided that the United States stops hostile actions.