Asked by reporters if the US was discussing a “plan B” with Israel if talks fail, and if that included military options, Ned Price, the State Department spokesman, replied that “I wouldn’t want to speak to what we might be contemplating if diplomacy… isn’t viable in the near term. But we are discussing those alternatives. We are discussing those options with our close partners, with our close allies, and that includes with the Israelis.”

“We have already had good discussions with the Israelis about the path forward and how we can work together to ensure that Iran is never able to acquire a nuclear weapon.”

Jerusalem consulted with Washington on two previous strikes on Iran, one in September against a missile base and one in June against an Iranian factory building nuclear centrifuges, The New York Times reported on Friday.

It added that two months ago, Joe Biden, the US president, asked his national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, to review the Pentagon’s plans to attack Iran if diplomatic efforts fail, as a signal to Tehran that it is running out of patience.

But there are tensions between Israel and the US over how to deal with Iran, with Israel reportedly concerned that Washington will compromise too much in order to revive the deal.