US President Donald Trump has repeatedly urged Israel not to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu seems to have disregarded Trump’s wishes and decided to continue attacking Iran’s nuclear program, which is exactly what officials from the United States and its allies are worried about. Early indications suggest that he has gone even further, targeting Iran’s ballistic missile launch sites, nuclear scientists and military leaders.
Just a few hours before the attack, Trump had told reporters that an attack was not imminent and that the United States still believed a diplomatic solution was possible, while Netanyahu had long held that this was impossible.
“I would much prefer to reach an agreement. As long as I think an agreement can be reached, I don’t want them to join, because I think it would ruin everything,” he said. “In fact, it might help, but it might also ruin everything.”
Netanyahu’s decision will heighten tensions in the region, meaning that Iran’s retaliation is almost inevitable. This deepens the foreign policy crisis that Trump has had to deal with since his return to the White House and raises questions about whether Trump has the ability to influence allies like Netanyahu, let alone the leaders of hostile countries such as Russia or China.
Shortly after the attack, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a statement saying that the United States was not involved in Israel’s operation and warned Iran not to retaliate against US interests or personnel.
Rubio said, “Israel told us that they believe this action was out of the need for self-defense.”
According to Fox News, citing a phone interview with Trump, Trump was not surprised by the attack and had known about the plans before they were carried out. He added that the president and Netanyahu had spoken several times in recent days.
According to Fox News, Trump said, “Iran will never have a nuclear bomb. We hope to return to the negotiating table. Let’s wait and see. A few people in the leadership won’t be coming back.”
During his campaign, Trump promised to end what he called the failed military adventures in the Middle East. His senior advisers, including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio (who was once a traditional Iran hawk), have all indicated that the era of the United States waging war in the region has come to an end.
In recent weeks, Trump has restarted negotiations with Iran on restricting the nuclear enrichment program of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Both the United States and Israel have stated that this program must be ended, but Iran insists that it is its right.
However, Netanyahu’s attack also highlights a possibility: no matter how far the US keeps itself from Israel’s attack, Trump may find himself drawn into the escalating conflict in the Middle East. Iran has vowed to carry out “severe strikes” against both Israel and the US in response to this attack.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch said in a statement, “If Iran misjudges and responds by attacking U.S. interests, U.S. military personnel will undoubtedly answer the call,” and urged Iran to quickly reach a nuclear deal with the United States.
Justin Logan, director of defense and foreign policy studies at the Cato Institute, noted in a report that “Netanyahu’s war has gone beyond President Trump’s declaration” that the United States is committed to resolving the issue through diplomatic means. “Netanyahu chose to present a fait accompli to Trump and challenge him to oppose it.”
Trump has little room to allow the global situation to become more volatile. The tariff war launched by this administration against both enemies and allies has triggered a wave of uncertainty that could push the US and the global economy into recession.
After the attack, oil prices soared during the Asian trading session, heightening the risk of surging inflation. Trump blamed his predecessor, Joe Biden, for fueling this inflationary surge.
Despite this, since Israel’s establishment in 1948, the United States has been its steadfast supporter and has provided crucial military support to it from the Yom Kippur War in 1973 to last year’s defense against Iranian missile and drone attacks.
Despite the widespread criticism of Netanyahu’s offensive against Hamas in Gaza, the United States has not ceased providing military and financial support to the country.
Matt Kroenig, senior director of the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security at the Atlantic Council in Washington, said that Israel has the ability to launch an attack on its own. Even so, he said it would be surprising if the United States did not offer even tacit support.
He said, “I suspect that Israel wouldn’t have done this without the tacit approval of the Trump administration.”
