US preparing for possible Israeli strike on Iran/ The Wall Street Journal

‏          The United States has reportedly stepped up contingency planning in case Israel launches a military strike on Iran's nuclear facilities. The Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. defense officials are becoming increasingly concerned that Israel is preparing to carry out such a strike. ‏The paper said the U.S. military is reportedly preparing for a range of possible responses to an Israeli strike on Iran, including attacks by pro-Iranian Shiite groups against the U.S. Embassy in Iraq. The report said that, largely as a deterrent to Iran, the U.S. has 15,000 soldiers in Kuwait and has moved a second aircraft carrier strike group to the Persian Gulf region. ‏In addition, the U.S. has been pre-positioning aircraft and other military hardware and has accelerated arms transfers to U.S. allies in the Persian Gulf region. According to the report, top U.S. officials, including President Barack Obama and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, have sent a series of private messages to Israeli leaders warning about the consequences of a strike on Iran. The U.S. reportedly wants to give sanctions and other measures more time, as part of efforts to compel Iran to abandon its alleged work to build nuclear weapons. ‏The US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Martin Dempsey, is due to visit Israel next week. President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu spoke by phone earlier this week. The two discussed Iran and regional diplomatic efforts. A White House statement said the conversation was part of the leaders' regular communication and cooperation on bilateral and regional issues, with a major topic being the recent talks in Jordan between Israeli and Palestinian negotiatiors. Netanyahu's advisor, Yitzhak Molcho, and Palestinian official Saeb Erekat were due to meet in Amman Saturday evening. It will be their third meeting in about two weeks, as part of efforts to revive direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.