Explained: How Trump Took A U-Turn On Iran After Israeli Pressure

NDTV

18-06-2025

In his inaugural address in January 2025, US President Donald Trump made a promise: "Our power will stop all wars and bring a new spirit of unity to a world that has been angry, violent and totally unpredictable."
As of June 18, 2025, America is closer than ever to entangling itself in West Asia, a region Trump often warned and criticised his predecessors' policies for. Driven by mounting pressure from Israel and his doubts about Iran's intentions, Trump on Monday asked Tehran for " unconditional surrender."
By late May, US intelligence assessed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was preparing for a major strike on Iran's nuclear sites, possibly without American support. Netanyahu, who, for decades, pushed for action before Iran reached nuclear breakout capability, didn't get the backing from past US presidents, including Trump during his first term. They urged restraint.
Though Trump initially backed diplomacy and rejected Netanyahu's call for a joint strike in April, tensions escalated. The Intelligence showed Netanyahu was serious. Trump now faced a tough choice: risk a new war or let Israel act alone with dangerous fallout.
Frustration grew within the White House as Iran dragged its feet in negotiations. Despite intelligence assessments that Iran wasn't building a bomb, Trump began to distrust Tehran, echoing his past disappointment with Russia during the Ukraine talks.
In the end, Trump chose a middle ground. He quietly backed Israel with intelligence support and increased pressure on Iran. While the US kept its distance during Israel's early June strikes, Trump's tone shifted once Israeli attacks began showing success.
Now, Trump is reportedly considering sending American aircraft to assist Israeli combat jets and even targeting deeply buried nuclear facilities like Fordow with bunker-busting bombs.
Despite Trump and Netanyahu's public displays of camaraderie, there has always been mutual suspicion. Trump once confided to an ally that Netanyahu was "trying to drag [him] into another Middle East war", the very kind he vowed to avoid during his re-election campaign, The NYT reported.
But as intelligence showed Israeli ground forces were already inside Iran, and with Netanyahu adamant during a phone call on June 9 that the mission was moving forward, Trump told aides, "I think we might have to help him."
Behind the scenes, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio worked to present Trump with clear military options. CIA Director John Ratcliffe sped up intelligence efforts to keep pace with Israel.
Trump faced pressure from a divided Republican base, some opposed foreign wars, while others demanded full support for Israel. Unlike his first term's hawkish team, his current advisers mostly aligned with his instincts.
In February, Netanyahu warned Trump that Iran was "days away" from having enough enriched uranium and urged immediate action before Iran could rebuild its defences. He even gave Trump a "disturbing" gift, weaponised pagers once used against Hezbollah, according to The Guardian.
Still, Trump initially pursued diplomacy, sending a letter to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in March, proposing peace. "I don't want war. I don't want to blow you off the map. I want a deal," Trump reportedly wrote, as per Ynet News.
The breakthrough never came.
In April, backchannel talks, led by Witkoff and Michael Anton of the State Department, with Iran began in Oman. By May end, the US presented a proposal to Tehran: Iran would end uranium enrichment, and a regional nuclear energy consortium would be created with the US, Iran, and Gulf states.
Trump wanted diplomacy but believed military options would help in talks. The Pentagon already had strike plans, but Trump asked to refine them with Israel. By February, Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla had three main options prepared: help Israel with refuelling and intelligence, joint US-Israel strikes, or a US-led mission. A fourth option involving Israeli commandos was dropped quickly.
In April, Israeli PM Netanyahu visited Trump and asked for a bunker-buster bomb to hit Iran's Fordow site. Trump said no, still hoping for a deal.
But Israel moved ahead, worried about Iran's growing missile stockpile.
On June 4, Iran's leader rejected the US offer.
By Thursday, there was no sign of a deal. Trump knew the Israeli strike was about to begin. He told one associate, "I don't know about Bibi," adding that he warned Netanyahu against the attack. Trump watched the strikes unfold from the Situation Room, still open to a deal earlier that day.
The first official response came from Marco Rubio, who distanced the US from the strikes. But as the media, especially Fox News, praised Israel's precision, Trump's view shifted. On Friday, he started suggesting he'd had a bigger role in the attacks than people knew. He even considered giving Israel the bunker-busting bombs.
Will he get America directly involved in the conflict? The next few days may tell.