Israel’s Iran threat is familiar, but it is unlikely to attack without US backing

Israel has threatened to destroy Tehran's nuclear programme before, ultimately holding back in absence of Washington's support

The withdrawal of non-essential US personnel from parts of the Middle East and the anonymously sourced US reports in the past 24 hours that Israel is on the brink of an all-out attack on Iran are all deeply alarming, but they are also familiar.

The Israeli government has approached the same precipice, of a war to destroy Tehran's nuclear programme, several times in the past two decades, going as far as honing detailed plans and conducting practice air sorties.