Netanyahu Rejects Claim Israel Pushed U.S. Into Iran War
Speaking in an interview, Netanyahu defended US President Donald Trump against suggestions that he was lobbied into military action. "Donald Trump is the strongest leader in the world. He does what he thinks is right for America. He does also what he thinks is right for future generations," he said.
The remarks were a direct rebuttal to a New York Times investigation published this week, which alleged that Netanyahu played a decisive behind-the-scenes role in steering Trump toward military confrontation with Tehran — lobbying him personally over several months while working to ensure diplomatic channels did not derail plans for an offensive.
Netanyahu pushed back, insisting Trump "understands" the threat posed by Iran and required no persuading. Addressing the United States directly on Iran's posture, Netanyahu said Tehran is "committed to your destruction." He continued: "Whether people understand it or not, the leader has to understand it. Donald Trump understands it. You don't have to drag him into anything. He does what he thinks is right, and this is right."
The NYT report, drawing on sources with direct knowledge of internal deliberations — among them American and Israeli officials, diplomats, lawmakers and intelligence figures — characterized the US decision to strike Iran as a landmark win for Netanyahu. According to the report, Netanyahu first floated the idea of targeting Iran's missile infrastructure during a December meeting with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Within two months, he had secured broad US participation in a campaign aimed at dismantling the Iranian leadership.
Israel earlier confirmed it launched what it described as a "preemptive" strike on Iran in the early hours of Saturday under the codename "Operation Lion's Roar," simultaneously declaring a "special and immediate" state of emergency nationwide.
The military action unfolded as nuclear negotiations between Washington and Tehran, brokered under Oman's mediation, were still actively underway — with a fresh round of Geneva talks having concluded just the previous Thursday.
Since the campaign began Saturday, joint US-Israeli strikes have reportedly killed multiple senior Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Tehran has since retaliated with drone and missile strikes on US-linked targets across Gulf states. Six American service members have been killed and several others critically wounded.
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