Trump blocked Israeli-proposed joint attack on Iran to pursue nuclear deal — report NYT:
Jerusalem sought US okay for week of strikes on regime’s nuclear facilities next month, but White House rifts spurred pivot to diplomacy shortly before Netanyahu’s visit
By Nava Freiberg, Times of Israel, April 17, 2025
US President Donald Trump quashed Israeli proposals for a series of joint strikes next month on Iranian nuclear facilities, opting instead to try for a diplomatic solution to the problem of Tehran’s nuclear program, The New York Times reported Wednesday.
Trump’s dismissal earlier this month of Jerusalem’s plans, which Israeli officials had discussed with their US counterparts and were ready to carry out in May if they could secure US support and participation, resulted from internal divisions in the Trump administration, the report said, citing administration officials and others.
Sources briefed on the proposed attack said it aimed to set back Iran’s ability to break out to a bomb by at least a year, but months of debate among Trump’s aides on the issue resulted in a general consensus against military action, as Tehran showed signs of being open to talks, the newspaper reported.
...
Initial plans for the strike would have combined a joint Israeli-American bombing campaign with Israeli commando raids on underground nuclear sites, and included US airstrikes to protect the teams on the ground.
But such an operation would have required months of planning. Israeli and American officials, particularly Netanyahu, wanted to expedite the process. So the commando idea was shelved, and “Israeli and American officials began discussing a plan for an extensive bombing campaign.”
The campaign would have started in early May and lasted more than a week, beginning with eliminating what remained of Iran’s air defense systems after Israel destroyed parts of the array during strikes in the country last year. This would pave the way for Israeli fighters to directly strike nuclear sites. Such an attack would have likely prompted Iran to launch a retaliatory missile barrage at Israel, requiring US assistance to fend it off.
Times of Israel |
