Israeli Strikes on Iran Expose Trump’s Failure to Restrain Netanyahu

Following Israel’s unilateral strike on Iranian targets, the United States quickly distanced itself from Netanyahu’s decision to escalate toward what could become a full-blown regional war.

The move signals the breakdown of Trump’s efforts to rein in Netanyahu and all but destroys the former president’s chances of negotiating a nuclear deal with Iran—one that was intended to deter Tehran from developing atomic weapons. The attack is also likely to provoke an Iranian response, potentially spiraling into a broader Iran-Israel war that Trump had previously sought to avoid.

Senior U.S. officials referred to the Israeli strike as a “unilateral action” and issued warnings to Tehran not to retaliate against American embassies or military bases in the region.

U.S. Distances Itself from Israeli Strike, Warns Iran Against Retaliation

Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated:“Israel took unilateral action against Iran tonight. We are not involved in the strikes and our top priority remains protecting American forces in the region.” He added that the Trump administration had taken “all necessary steps” to safeguard U.S. personnel and coordinate with regional allies, before warning, “Iran must not target American interests or personnel.”

Washington analysts had anticipated Israel would delay any strike until the U.S. exhausted diplomatic options. According to The Wall Street Journal, Trump had personally urged Netanyahu on Monday not to attack Iran. But by Wednesday, Trump had begun evacuating non-essential staff from embassies and bases near Iran.

William Wechsler, Director of Middle East Programs at the Atlantic Council, told the paper:“There’s clearly some confusion in the U.S. position and divergence from Israel’s approach. Netanyahu likely wouldn’t have launched the attack had he been given a clear red light by the Trump administration. But the U.S. response now appears inconsistent.”

The situation was muddied further by an Israeli broadcaster close to Netanyahu’s government, who claimed the strike had been fully coordinated with Washington—an assertion U.S. officials did not confirm.

Trump Warned Netanyahu, But Israeli Strike Jeopardizes Final Iran Talks

Meanwhile, Trump’s envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, was scheduled to travel to Muscat, Oman, on Sunday for a sixth round of nuclear negotiations with Iran—talks seen as a final chance for diplomacy.

The strike occurred just hours after Trump publicly urged Netanyahu to refrain from attacking Iran, warning that such a move could derail the talks. Speaking at the White House on Thursday, Trump said:“I want to avoid conflict. We’re very close to a good agreement… I’d prefer to seal the deal. As long as that remains possible, I don’t want them involved because I believe it would blow it up.”

However, hinting at speculation that the U.S. might be using the strike to pressure Iran into agreement, Trump added:“This may actually help—but it might also ruin everything.”

Critics argue that the strike is a direct result of Trump’s previous decision to withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the Iran nuclear deal established during his first term. That withdrawal, they claim, increased the region’s volatility and made war more likely.

Senator Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut) said:“This attack was clearly intended to sabotage Trump administration negotiations with Iran. It’s further evidence that global powers—including our allies—have little respect for President Trump.”

He added:“This disaster was made by Trump and Netanyahu, and now the entire region risks spiraling into a deadly new conflict.”

Murphy concluded:“Iran would not be this close to a nuclear weapon had Trump and Netanyahu not forced America out of the multilateral nuclear deal that successfully kept Iran’s ambitions in check with support from Europe, Russia, and China.”