Netanyahu reportedly pushed Trump to war with Iran for months
A report by the New York Times says Netanyahu made sure diplomatic talks wouldn't derail US-Israel plans to attack Iran.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu played a central role in steering US President Donald Trump toward war with Iran, personally lobbying him for months and working to ensure that diplomatic talks did not derail plans for a military attack, the New York Times reported.
The report on Monday, based on accounts from people with direct knowledge of the deliberations, including American and Israeli officials, diplomats, lawmakers and intelligence figures, describes the US decision to strike Iran as a significant victory for Netanyahu.
When Netanyahu walked into the Oval Office on February 11, his goal was clear: to keep Trump committed to military action even as the US had just begun nuclear negotiations with Iran under Omani mediation. The two leaders discussed possible dates for a strike and the slim prospects of a diplomatic resolution over nearly three hours, the Times reported.
Netanyahu had first raised the prospect of hitting Iran's missile sites during a visit to Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in December. Two months later, he secured something far more expansive: a full US partner in a campaign to attack the Iranian leadership.
Coordination between the two countries ran deep. When Netanyahu determined in January that Israel needed more time to bolster its missile interceptors and air defences, he called Trump and asked him to delay any strike. Trump agreed. In the weeks that followed, senior Israeli military and intelligence officials travelled to Washington, and the Israeli military chief communicated regularly with the head of US Central Command.
Despite three rounds of nuclear talks held in Muscat and Geneva under Omani mediation, the last of which concluded just two days before the strikes, the Times reported that there was never a realistic space for a deal that could simultaneously satisfy Trump, Netanyahu and Iranian leaders. After the talks, envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner told Trump a deal was out of reach.
Appetite for attacks
Trump's appetite for military action was also fueled by his own confidence following the US' abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in January, a success he reportedly saw as a model for what could be achieved in Iran.
In addition, a few voices in Trump's inner circle pushed back. Even Vice President JD Vance, long sceptical of Middle East military invasions, ultimately argued that if the US was going to act, it should "go big and go fast."
The attacks, dubbed, "Operation Epic Fury", were launched on Saturday, killing several senior Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Six US service members have been killed since attacks began, with Trump warning that more casualties are likely as the campaign, expected to last four to five weeks, continues.