NYT: Trump 'Waved Off' Israeli Strike on Iran

US President Donald Trump halted a planned Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities in favour of reopening diplomatic talks with Tehran, according to the New York Times. The decision followed months of internal debate within the Trump administration, as Israeli officials pushed for a military campaign to delay Iran’s nuclear ambitions by at least a year.

The report drew on conversations with numerous US and Israeli officials, many speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of military planning.

The proposed Israeli attack, originally scheduled for May, would have combined an extended bombing campaign with a commando raid targeting underground nuclear sites. However, Israeli military leaders said that the raid would not be ready until October, prompting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to favour a quicker aerial assault that required US logistical and defensive support.

When informed of the proposals, Trump rejected military action. In a recent Oval Office meeting with Netanyahu, he reportedly announced that the US was instead launching direct nuclear talks with Iran, the first under his presidency. The initial round took place in Oman last Saturday and was described by both sides as “positive” and “constructive”. A second meeting is expected in Rome.

“An agreement with Iran will only work if it allows the signers to go in, blow up the facilities, dismantle all the equipment, under American supervision with American execution,” said Netanyahu in Hebrew following the meeting.

Trump, who unilaterally withdrew from the Obama-era 2015 Iran nuclear deal during his first term, is now seeking a new agreement with a limited timeframe for negotiation. His decision comes amid Iran’s military and economic setbacks and reflects a broader reluctance to engage in another major conflict in the Middle East.

In a meeting this month — one of several discussions about the Israeli plan — Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, presented a new intelligence assessment that said the buildup of American weaponry could potentially spark a wider conflict with Iran that the United States did not want.

A range of officials echoed Ms. Gabbard’s concerns in the various meetings. Susie Wiles, the White House chief of staff; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth; and Vice President JD Vance all voiced doubts about the attack.

Even Mr. Waltz, frequently one of the most hawkish voices on Iran, was skeptical that Israel’s plan could succeed without substantial American assistance.

"[Iran] is now closer than it has ever been to being able to produce six or more nuclear weapons in a matter of months or a year."