So reports the Times of London: Revealed: Israel plans nuclear strike on Iran

ISRAEL has drawn up secret plans to destroy Iran’s uranium enrichment facilities with tactical nuclear weapons.

Two Israeli air force squadrons are training to blow up an Iranian facility using low-yield nuclear “bunker-busters”, according to several Israeli military sources.

Ok, all very dramatic, to be sure. However, the key phrase is “has drawn up plans”–which doesn’t mean that such a strike is imminent or even likely. It means that they have examined the situation and made plans should they wish to strike Iran–which is the kind of thing that militaries do. I am sure the US has similar plans. Even the report of training is hardly a shocker.

Why do press outlets continually treat news like this with such breathless drama?

I must confess as to my doubts about the underlying tone of the story, which heavily suggests that the Israelis are ready to move at any moment, which is an odd thing to telegraph with specificity. If they really want to have a successful strike, why warn Iran and provide specific targets? It smacks of an attempt at some sort of public diplomacy aimed perhaps at the international community to put pressure on them to deal with Iran before Israel “has to.” Or, at least, to continue to keep the Iranians off balance.

It continues to seem to me that a) an airstrike is unlikely to solve the problem, and b) that any strike, especially a nuclear one, would have the potential to spark a serious international crisis and perhaps a regional war.

James Joyner has similar views and also has a blogospheric round-up.