US President Donald Trump has rejected Israel’s proposal to support the Iranian nuclear facilities with a US attack, according to a report by the New York Times (NYT) on Wednesday evening, citing White House officials and other individuals familiar with the matter. The attack was reportedly planned to take place in May. According to reports, Trump has instead decided on a new agreement with Tehran. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had traveled to Washington on April 7 and held talks with President Trump.
According to the NYT article, which is behind a paywall, the initial approach from Netanyahu was: “Israel had planned to attack Iranian nuclear facilities next month, but was given the green light by President Trump in recent weeks for negotiations with Tehran on limiting its nuclear program. This is according to reports from government officials and others who were briefed on the talks.”
After initially considering a combination of air strikes and commando actions, Netanyahu reportedly proposed a “comprehensive bombing campaign” that would have lasted more than a week. Israeli officials had hoped that the US would not only approve the operation but also actively support it, according to the NYT. The article states: “They were ready to carry them out and were optimistic that the US would give its approval. The proposals aimed, according to officials, to delay Tehran’s ability to develop a nuclear weapon by one year or more. Almost all the plans would have required US help not only to protect Israel from Iranian retaliation but also to ensure that the Israeli attack was successful, making the US a central part of the attack itself.”
However, Trump ultimately rejected the plan after consulting with the White House, according to reports, which indicates that there was a “broad consensus” on the matter. According to NYT information, Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the Director of the National Intelligence Agency, Tulsi Gabbard, among other high-ranking government officials, expressed their concerns that the strikes would “ignite a larger conflict with Iran.”
Iran and Israel had previously engaged in a fierce exchange of attacks last year in April and October, marking the most dramatic escalation between the regional rivals. According to the NYT, “Any Israeli attack on nuclear facilities would trigger an Iranian missile barrage against Israel, which could only be repelled with American help.”
Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran during his first term, accusing Tehran of secretly violating the agreement and reimposing sanctions. Iran responded by scaling back its own compliance with the agreement and accelerating the enrichment of uranium.
Last month, President Trump personally threatened to bomb Iran, “if they don’t reach an agreement” with Iran insisting it would not succumb to pressure. Despite the belligerent rhetoric, the US and Iran held their first round of talks in Oman last Saturday. According to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, the talks took place in a “productive, calm and positive atmosphere.