'Pardo probed US reaction to unilateral Iran strike'

Mossad chief sought info on Washington's reaction if Israel were to unilaterally strike Iran, 'Newsweek' reports.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
US Air Force F-15E releases a GBU-28 "Bunker Buster" 390 (photo credit: REUTERS/Handout)
US Air Force F-15E releases a GBU-28 "Bunker Buster" 390
(photo credit: REUTERS/Handout)
In his recent meetings in Washington, DC Mossad chief Tamir Pardo aimed to discover how the US would react were Israel to unilaterally attack Iran's nuclear facilities, Newsweek reported Monday.
According to an unnamed source in the report, Pardo asked if the US was ready to bomb, and if not, "What does it mean if [Israel] does it anyway?"
The report also said "Israel has stopped sharing a significant amount of information with Washington regarding its own military preparations" over the Iran nuclear issue.
Senior intelligence officials and a military officer said that Israel stopped sharing significant information with the United States for about four months after US President Barack Obama called for the Green Line to be the basis of peace talks with Palestinians.
Click here for full Jpost coverage of the Iranian threat
Click here for full Jpost coverage of the Iranian threat
Despite resuming information sharing, the report says, Israel still withholds a "top layer of information" on Iran.
Despite some differences, Newsweek wrote, the US and Israel have an implicit understanding on covert operations, with Israel carrying out those that the US is legally bound to avoid.
According to the report, Obama is "willing to come at the Iran problem from every possible angle: from behind, from the sides, overtly, covertly, diplomatically, and economically."