Israeli officials have been trying to persuade the U.S. that time is of the essence in planning an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Israel is hard pressed with a feeling of urgency and the present administration in Washington, doesn’t want to move on this thing till next year, after the U.S. elections.

David Axelrod, senior strategist in Obama’s re-election campaign, is coordinating arrangements for a meeting between President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, perhaps in September or maybe in October. Despite persistent reports from Israel asserting that Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak are strongly motivated toward ordering an Israeli strike in September or October. Obama tends to believe that Israel will not go ahead and attack Iran alone in defiance of the U.S.

Israel would like to be reassured by the White House that they really do “have Israel’s back,” as Obama said. Netanyahu is already tentatively scheduled to fly to the U.S. at the end of September to address the U.N. General Assembly and would like to have a private meeting with Obama at that time.

Israeli intelligence tells them that by December, Iran will have completed the protection of their facilities. The Iranian defense program includes moving the nuclear facilities deep underground, at several different sites. Security for Iranian scientists is also increasing and their work has been progressing in the development of launchers and warheads, faster than previously thought.

From Israel’s perspective, the military window of opportunity for an attack to be effective against Iran’s nuclear program will close in December. The strategic significance is that after December, Israel will find itself in a situation that is totally dependent on the U.S. to remove what Israel says is a threat to its very existence. In the past, Israeli governments have always done everything they could to avoid being pushed into a corner where they cannot defend themselves.

So the bottom line is the U.S. Might Attack Iran by June 2013. However the administration in Washington is trying its hardest to delay the Israeli attack at least until after the U.S. elections. “Trust us, when the time comes, we’ll do the job,” the present administration says to Israel. But there is no guarantee that they’ll fulfill that promise or even be around to fulfill it.

The fact remains, from a military perspective, it would be smarter to strike Iran before November. Politically, it would be better for Obama after November. The easiest thing to do in this situation would be to decide not to decide. Meanwhile Israel has to make a fate filled decision that will reflect upon their wellbeing as a nation, in the face of a cruel enemy who wants to wipe them off the face of this earth with atomic weapons.