While preferring U.S. coordination, Israeli defense forces say they are looking over the possibility of going on such a mission without it, reports said.

"It is always better to coordinate. But we are also preparing options that do not include coordination," a Defense Ministry official said last week," the Post reported.

Several news reports said that U.S. President George Bush refused to give Israel a green light for an Iranian attack. the Post said.

One report, published in September in Britain's Guardian newspaper, said Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert requested a go-ahead to attack Iran in May but Bush refused.

The Post reported that Israeli officials have said it would be difficult, but not impossible, to launch a strike without getting codes from the U.S. forces, who control Iraqi airspace. The United States refused a request for the codes in 1991 during the first Gulf war.