Israel Called Off Iran Strikes After Trump Intervened: Report
2 days ago
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Israel was preparing to launch military strikes against multiple nuclear targets in Iran—until U.S. President Donald Trump intervened, according to a New York Times report citing administration officials and other briefed on the discussions.
Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment via email on Wednesday night.
The Context
Israel’s reported decision to call off the strikes comes as tensions between Israel, Iran and its proxies continue to escalate and Iran recently flat-out rejected U.S. demands to curb its uranium enrichment.
What To Know
The Times reported that Israel was planning to strike Iran as soon as May, but Trump stepped in because the White House was leaning toward taking a diplomatic approach toward Tehran as opposed to a military one.
According to the Times, Trump decided to negotiate with Iran after months of internal debate among administration officials who favored a stronger military stance against the rogue state and those who were wary of launching a wider war in the Middle East when tensions in the region are already at a tipping point.
U.S. President Donald Trump, center, greets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, at the White House on April 7 in Washington, D.C. U.S. President Donald Trump, center, greets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, at the White House on April 7 in Washington, D.C. Photo by Chen Mengtong/China News Service/VCG via AP
According to the Times, Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the beginning of the month that Washington wouldn’t support military strikes against Iran, scuttling Israel’s optimism about securing American backing.
The president last week announced the U.S. was pursuing nuclear discussions with Iran during an Oval Office meeting with Netanyahu.
Trump said earlier this week said that he plans to make a decision regarding Iran “very quickly,” following what officials said were positive nuclear talks in Oman.
But the negotiations hit a snag when Steve Witkoff, the Trump administration’s special envoy to the Middle East, said Iran “must stop and eliminate its nuclear enrichment and weaponization program.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi rejected Witkoff’s demand, saying Wednesday that Iran’s uranium enrichment “is not subject to negotiation.”
The absence of U.S. support—which would have ensured Israel’s attack was successful and provided Israel protection from Iranian retaliation—likely pushed Israel to call off its plans to launch military strikes against Iranian targets, according to the Times.
The report added that the goal of Israel’s strikes was to set Iran back at least a year in its nuclear ambitions.
Trump’s decision to pursue diplomacy with Tehran stands in sharp contrast to his first term, when he voided the Iran nuclear deal that former President Barack Obama had negotiated and authorized a military strike that killed Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani.
What People Are Saying
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters this week: “The maximum pressure campaign on Iran continues, but as you know the President has made it clear he wants to see dialogue and discussion with Iran, while making his directive about Iran never being able to obtain nuclear weapons quite clear.”
Netanyahu said in a statement delivered in Hebrew after his Oval Office meeting with Trump: A new nuclear deal with Iran will only work if Tehran allowed signatories to “go in, blow up the facilities, dismantle all the equipment, under American supervision with American execution.”
Trump called out Iran last month when he warned Houthi rebels in Yemen to stop attacking ships in the Red Sea, writing on Truth Social: “Every shot fired by the Houthis will be looked upon, from this point forward, as being a shot fired from the weapons and leadership of IRAN.”
He added: “IRAN will be held responsible, and suffer the consequences, and those consequences will be dire!”
What Happens Next
A second round of U.S.-Iran talks is scheduled for Saturday. According to Reuters, Trump on Tuesday convened a Situation Room meeting with top national security officials to discuss Iran’s nuclear program ahead of the talks.
Update 4/16/25, 9:44 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information and context.
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