Israel formulated a comprehensive plan in recent months to strike Iran's nuclear facilities as early as May but was ultimately blocked by President Donald Trump, according to a report published Wednesday night in The New York Times.
The strategy would have required substantial American support, but President Trump opted to pursue a new diplomatic agreement with Iran regarding its nuclear program. According to the report, this decision followed heated internal debates among Trump's advisors, with some advocating for military action against Iran while other senior officials expressed concerns about potential escalation into a full-scale war.
The Israeli plan initially included options for a combined commando operation with air strikes, but was later modified to focus exclusively on aerial assaults. Nearly all versions of the strategy required American participation or assistance, both to ensure operational success and to provide Israel with protection from potential Iranian retaliation. Sources familiar with the details indicated that Israel hoped for American support in the form of aircraft, defense systems, and intelligence sharing. At one point, planners even considered deploying American attack aircraft on Israeli soil.
In response to Israeli pressure and in preparation for a possible confrontation, the US sent B-2 stealth bombers to a base on Diego Garcia island, deployed advanced THAAD and Patriot missile systems throughout the Middle East, and dispatched an additional aircraft carrier to the region. While officially the US claimed these deployments targeted Houthi forces in Yemen, the report suggests they were also preparations for potentially supporting an Israeli strike against Iran.
However, the Trump administration's opposition to military options grew. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard presented an assessment warning that the concentration of American forces in the region risked igniting a broader conflict that the administration wished to avoid. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Vice President JD Vance, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and National Security Advisor Michael Waltz all expressed reservations about the operation, each citing different concerns.
These internal objections led Trump to prioritize diplomatic engagement – a notable shift from his first term policy when he withdrew from the Obama administration's nuclear agreement with Iran. According to the report, Trump informed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during their White House meeting that the US would initiate direct talks with Iran, giving Tehran a brief window to negotiate a new agreement. Following the meeting, Netanyahu emphasized that from his perspective, any such agreement must include provisions allowing the US to "go in, blow up the facilities, dismantle all the equipment, under American supervision with American execution."
