According to a report by the New York Times, Israeli intelligence has shared information with the United States suggesting that Iran is preparing to use chemical weapons against its adversaries. The Israeli government's claim has been met with a mixed response from American officials, with some expressing alarm and others being more skeptical.
Gulf allies who have been briefed on the information are also skeptical, thinking that Israel is trying to push the US and its partners to escalate the conflict with Iran. The use of chemical weapons by Iran is not entirely unprecedented, as the country had a chemical weapons program in the 1980s in response to Saddam Hussein's use of such weapons during the Iran-Iraq War, but Tehran later claimed to have abandoned the program.
The effectiveness of chemical weapons is widely debated, with many viewing them as more of a psychological terror tool than a conventional weapon. The claim by Israeli officials has raised eyebrows, given the similarities to the narrative surrounding Iraq's supposed possession of weapons of mass destruction in the lead-up to the 2003 US invasion, which was later proven to be false.
The New York Times report highlights the divisions among US officials regarding the credibility of the Israeli intelligence.