Trump's Iran remarks let him still play 'good cop' to Netanyahu's 'bad cop'
Why you can trust Sky News
Reading between the lines of President Trump's social media posts is an art, not a science.
But whether by intention or not, there is always insight in his posts. His Truth Social words reacting to the Israeli attack on Iran are intentionally ambiguous.
When was he told by Israel that they would strike Iran? Did he give them a green light, or was it more amber?
Israel-Iran live: Missile from Iran and Yemen 'hitting Israel'
Was his insistence, as recently as 48 hours ago, that a strike would "blow" the chances of a deal with Iran actually just a ruse to afford Israel the element of surprise? That's what the Israelis are claiming.
Clearly, President Trump does not want to give the impression that his 'don't strike' advice was ignored by Netanyahu.
His social posts are filled with enough ambiguity to allow him to maintain his good cop stance alongside Netanyahu, the bad cop: "I gave Iran chance after chance to make a deal. I told them, in the strongest of words, to 'just do it'..."
Trump's 'art of the deal', whether it be in real estate or nuclear weapon negotiations, requires unpredictability and ambiguity.
Both of those, as it happens, are useful to hide ineptitude too. The line between diplomatic masterstroke and disastrous diplomacy is thin.
The president is claiming that the Israeli attacks make a deal more, not less, likely because of the pressure Iran will now be under.
Maybe, but many regional watchers are very unconvinced.
An alternative path to negotiations for Iran would be to go fully down the North Korea route, comforted in the knowledge that China - as a big Iranian oil customer - and Russia - as a weapons customer - will be on side.
Trump may think that the pressure of bombardment will force Iran to heel. But the other pressure the Iranian supreme leader is under is the pressure of survival.
Self-preservation necessitates the Iranian response that we're now seeing before any prospect of renewed negotiations can come.
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The Israelis and the Americans are calculating that Iran and its proxies are now sufficiently degraded, and so the response will be limp and containable.
They might be right in terms of conventional attacks, but asymmetrical operations are another fear - against Israeli targets or more broadly, softer Western targets in the region or beyond.
Step back from the chaos of the past 24 hours. The broader picture here is regime change.
Netanyahu said as much in his Friday speech, calling for an internal uprising. He ignored history - which suggests people tend to rally round their flag - but more than that, that foreign air strikes alone don't work.
Look at Libya in 1986, Iraq in 1991, or Yugoslavia in 1999.
Netanyahu wants to go further. Will he take out the supreme leader? Trump does not want another full-scale conflict in the Middle East. Of all the things he is accused of being, a hawkish warmonger he is not.
But there are plenty of politicians on Capitol Hill - on both sides of the divide - who support regime change in Iran.
I was at an event in Congress in December organised by Iranian exiled opposition leaders. I was struck by the cross-party support for regime change in one form or another.
Israel this weekend announced that its military had achieved total air superiority from western Iran to the capital Tehran. That's remarkable.
Could Trump be persuaded to pursue regime change? Peace, eventually, through strength? His motto adapted.
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The Guardian
21 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Trump, Netanyahu and Khamenei – three angry old men who could get us all killed
This was not inevitable. This is a war Israel chose. It could have been prevented. Diplomatic talks were ongoing when the bombers took off for Iran. Israel's continuing, illegal, unjustified airstrikes are unlikely to achieve their stated aim – permanently ending Tehran's presumed efforts to build nuclear weapons – and may accelerate it. They must stop now. Likewise, Iran must halt its retaliation immediately and drop its escalatory threats to attack US and UK bases. This conflict is not limited, as was the case last year, to tit-for-tat exchanges and 'precision strikes' on a narrow range of military targets. It's reached a wholly different level. Potentially nothing is off the table. Civilians are being killed on both sides. Leaders are targets. The rhetoric is out of control. With Israel fighting on several fronts, and Iran's battered regime backed against a wall, the Middle East is closer than ever to a disastrous conflagration. Reasons can always be found to go to war. The roots of major conflicts often reach back decades – and this is true of the Israel-Iran vendetta, which dates to the 1979 Islamic revolution. The so-called 'shadow war' between the two intensified in recent years. Yet all-out conflict had been avoided, until now. So who is principally to blame for this sudden, unprecedented explosion? Answer: three angry old men whose behaviour raises serious doubts about their judgment, common sense, motives and even their sanity. The fact that one of them – Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister – has actively sought a showdown with Iran for years does not mean it had to happen. The fact the Tehran regime is unusually vulnerable after Israel's attacks last year and the defeat of its Hezbollah ally does not somehow legitimise a surprise assault on its sovereign soil. It's true that UN nuclear inspectors say Iran is breaking treaty obligations. But that doesn't amount to a green light for war. Netanyahu, 75, is unfit to lead Israel, let alone make life-or-death decisions on its behalf. He failed to protect Israelis from the 2023 terror attacks, then dodged responsibility. He has failed to fulfil his vow to destroy Hamas and bring back the hostages, yet his soldiers have killed more than 55,000 Palestinians in Gaza in the process. He invaded Lebanon and Syria. Now it's Iran. Where will he stop? Will he fight Turkey next? It's not out of the question. War is Netanyahu's choice. It's what gets him out of bed in the morning. It's what keeps him and his UK-sanctioned far-right cronies in office and out of jail. His actions have inflicted extraordinary damage on his country's reputation, fuelling antisemitism globally. He claims Israel is fighting for its existence – but his own political survival is a prime consideration, too. Netanyahu has been indicted for alleged war crimes in Gaza. He should be arrested, not defended and enabled, before any more crimes are committed. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's bellicose supreme leader, is the second leading culprit. He should have been put out to grass in Qom years ago. The 86-year-old squats atop a repressive, corrupt theocratic regime that has lost touch with the society and people it ostensibly serves. Elections are fixed, judges are bent, media censorship is pervasive. The regime's military incompetence, economic mismanagement and brutal persecution of young women, gay men and human rights defenders such as Nasrin Sotoudeh are notorious. Like Netanyahu, Khamenei is backed by hardline conservatives and opposed by reformers, but it's him who calls the shots. His suspicious insistence on stepping up uranium enrichment, even though civil applications are lacking, ultimately gave Netanyahu an opening. Although he is said to be unwell, Khamenei is a key reason why Iran will not abandon its nuclear programme. Even without him, Netanyahu's idea that it can be totally eliminated is fantasy. This blindspot may be the regime's final undoing. Israel's strikes have killed senior military leaders and damaged nuclear facilities and ballistic missile and drone forces. Khamenei himself, and Iran's vital energy exports, may be next. In a patronising video, Netanyahu urged Iranians to rise up and seize their 'freedom'. Many would like to. The difficulty with such advice, coming from a tainted source, is that it could have the opposite effect of rallying the public, and Arab leaders, around the regime. Iran's threats to attack US, British and French bases and ships if they help defend Israel, and to close the strait of Hormuz, heighten the risk of full-scale war and a global energy shock that could hurt the west and benefit Russia. These are some of the direct consequences of Donald Trump's weak, vacillating stance. Trump, 79, is the third man in this avoidable tragedy. He previously said he preferred to negotiate a new nuclear deal with Iran, having idiotically trashed the previous one. But he couldn't decide on terms, and his amateurish negotiators kept changing their position. That was partly because Trump, as with Palestine and Ukraine, is too idle to study the details. He wings it instead, trusting to instincts that are invariably bad. That makes him easy prey for wily operators such as Netanyahu. Trump's feeble ineptitude meant that when Israel's leader insisted last week that the time was right for an all-out attack on Iran, he folded. Typically, once the attack began, he switched, trying to claim credit and issuing flatulent threats of his own. Each time he opens his mouth, Trump inadvertently confirms Iran's suspicions that the US and Israel are acting in close concert. An urgent message for Keir Starmer: anyone who still thinks Trump has even the remotest idea what he's doing when confronting the big international questions of the day should study the alarming events of the past week. Whether he is selling out to Vladimir Putin, weaponising tariffs, botching a Gaza ceasefire or bullying neighbours, Trump is a total menace. Far better, and safer, for Britain to bypass him and try as much as possible to act independently of the US from now on. These angry old men could get us all killed. Simon Tisdall is a Guardian foreign affairs commentator
Sky News
25 minutes ago
- Sky News
Israel-Iran live: Explosions reported in central Tehran as countries exchange strikes; Trump issues warning over US response
Iranian president warns response will be 'more severe' Masoud Pezeshkian has warned Iran's reaction will be "more decisive and severe" if Israel continues its attacks. That's according to comments cited by news agency IRNA. He added Iran's military has so far responded "strongly and appropriately". Iran launched at least two waves of missile attacks on Israel overnight, appearing to cause more casualties and damage than the previous night. Recap: What's happened so far today in five bullet points It's just gone 4pm in Iran and 3.30pm in Israel, following another night of strikes in both countries. Attacks have continued today - with reports of explosions in Tehran - and diplomacy shows no sign of bringing the conflict to a halt. That's despite Donald Trump saying a deal can be reached "easily", though he also warned Iran will face the full might of the US military if they target them in any way. If you're just joining, here's a quick look at the main developments so far today: Israel said 13 people have been killed in the past day - including three children - after waves of Iranian missile strikes last night; Iran hasn't provided information on deaths or damage overnight, but said most of its casualties are civilians, mainly women and children; Tehran's foreign minister said they don't want to expand the war unless they are forced to, while Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran will pay a "very heavy price"; And Israel's military has said it still had a large list of targets in Iran, claiming they've attacked more than 170 sites so far; Smoke has been rising from an industrial area in southern Iran, after a huge fire broke out at an oil depot in Tehran and production elsewhere at the world's biggest gas field was suspended. Explosions heard in Tehran A short while ago, we brought you a report claiming air defences have been activated in the Iranian capital. Now, two explosions have been heard in the centre of Tehran. Tasnim news agency reports two missile-like projectiles hit two locations in the city centre, leading to explosions. We'll bring you more as we get it. Israeli attack kills chances of Iranian nuclear deal, former UK foreign secretary says The US wants Iran to return to the table for nuclear talks, which were due to continue today, until Israel's attack. Washington has been trying to curb Tehran's nuclear programme, but the UK's former foreign secretary Philip Hammond says he does not think a deal is now possible. When he was negotiating the previous deal in 2015 - which Trump scrapped in his first term - Israel opposed it, he said. Speaking to Sky News, Lord Hammond said the Israelis "are standing in the way of a new deal". He added Tehran's position now makes it "virtually impossible" for a deal to be done - as the credibility of the regime "would be shot". The Iranian regime has "many different factions" and "focuses of power", he added, which also doesn't help. "The Israeli pre-emptive attack has effectively put paid, at least for now, to any prospect of a deal to halt Iran's nuclear weapons program," he said Watch his full remarks below... Netanyahu: Iran will pay 'very heavy price' for strikes We're just hearing from Israel's prime minister, who is in the city of Bat Yam after Iranian strikes hit flats there. Benjamin Netanyahu said they face an "existential threat", adding they "embarked on a war of salvation" to stop Iranian aggression. "Iran will pay a very high price for the murder of civilians, women, and children, which they did intentionally," he said. "We will both achieve our goal and strike them with one blow." Israel's health ministry said 12 people have died over the past day, and 15 since Iran retaliated against Israel's initial attack. Iran, which hasn't given a total number of casualties, said dozens have been killed by Israel, mostly civilians. Air defences activated in Tehran - report There are reports of attacks in the Iranian capital now. Local news agency YJC has said air defences have been activated in Tehran. It comes as Iran cancels all flights until 2am local time. Israel's military said in the past hour that they still have targets in Iran - see our post at 12.11pm. Israel claims more than 170 targets have been attacked in Iran Following our post below on Israel's list of targets in Iran, we've now got more from IDF spokesperson Avichay Adraee. Posting on social media, he has claimed around 50 fighter jets attacked infrastructure and targets linked to Iran's nuclear programme. Since Israel attacked Iran on Friday - sparking this conflict - he has claimed: More than 170 targets have been attacked and more than 720 military infrastructure facilities; Jets flew over Tehran overnight; Its forces are "striking at the heart of the nuclear programme". Iran has said the majority of its casualties are civilians, mainly women and children, as we reported at 10.50am. Israel has issued evacuation orders for residents near Iranian weapon facilities. Israel still has long list of targets - after attacking 'around 80' sites in Tehran last night An Israeli military official has said they still have a large list of targets in Iran. He wouldn't say how long strikes in Iran will continue, adding the military has attacked around 80 targets in Tehran last night. The targets included two "dual-use" fuel sites supporting military and nuclear operations, he said. He also said they targeted the chief of staff of Yemen's Houthis overnight - which we mentioned this morning at 6.59am. Watch: Why UK is sending jets to Middle East - and the danger Iran faces The UK is sending assets to the Middle East - why is that, and how does that actually work? Our military analyst Sean Bell breaks it all down, and explains why we haven't seen Iranian jets. UK advises against all travel to Israel Confirming our earlier post at 11.12am, the UK government has now stepped up its travel advice for Israel. The foreign office's website states it "currently advises against all travel to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories".
Sky News
26 minutes ago
- Sky News
How the conflict between Israel and Iran unfolded over three days
By Megan Harwood-Baynes, news reporter The conflict between Israel and Iran - once played out in a series of proxy wars - has escalated. On Friday morning, explosions hit Tehran as Israel carried out a major attack on its nuclear capabilities. Iran threatened "severe punishment" and quickly retaliated with a wave of missiles. Here we plot a timeline of how the conflict has unfolded over the last three days... Timings below are approximations. They are written in local Israeli time, which is two hours ahead of the UK, unless otherwise specified. 13 June 2025 Israel attacks Iran in the early hours of Friday morning 3.30am, local time (1.30am BST): Explosions are heard in Tehran. Israel says it has launched dozens of airstrikes against military targets inside Iran, including its nuclear facilities. Israel's defence minister declares a state of emergency at home and warns citizens to prepare for retaliatory attacks. 3.45am: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announces Operation Rising Lion. He claims Iran has recently taken steps to weaponise enriched uranium, which could be used to make nuclear weapons. 0:59 Iranian state media goes on to report the head of the country's powerful Revolutionary Guard, Hossein Salami, has been killed. Nuclear scientist Fereydoun Abbasi is dead, as is theoretical physicist Dr Mohammed Mehdi Tehranchi and Major General Gholam Ali Rashid. 6am: A statement is released by Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in which he warns Israel of "severe punishment" for the attacks. 6.53am: Israel's president puts out a statement saying the airstrikes were vital. He says Iran is at "the helm of a global terror empire" and wants to "annihilate" his country. 8am: Israel says Iran has launched more than 100 drones. 8.49am (6.49am BST): Sir Keir Starmer urges all parties to "step back and reduce tensions urgently". Daylight breaks across the Middle East Iran fires more drones at Israel Iran continues to retaliate. Flights around the Middle East are cancelled and delayed. The extent of the attacks is becoming clear - Israel's initial blitz has hit the country's main uranium enrichment facility at Natanz and the headquarters of the Revolutionary Guards in Tehran. 10am (8am BST): British warplanes are not helping defend Israel's skies from any counterattacks, it is confirmed. Midday: Iran launches a retaliatory volley of more than 100 drones towards Israel - they will take several hours to make the journey. 1pm: Donald Trump writes a lengthy post on Truth Social urging Iran to come to a deal with the US and agree not to pursue a nuclear weapon. "No more death, no more destruction, JUST DO IT, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. God Bless You All!" he writes. In a later interview with ABC, he calls the Israeli strikes "excellent". It's now more than 12 hours since the first wave of attacks At 3pm, Iranian media gives the first unofficial death toll Nournews says 78 people were killed and 329 injured in Tehran, the capital. 5pm: Israel says it is still attacking targets in Iranian territory. Footage shared by the IDF on Telegram claims to show strikes on Iranian surface-to-surface missiles and launchers. 7pm: Explosions are heard in the area of the Fordow nuclear site near Qom, south of Tehran, according to Iranian news agency Fars. Israel says it is continuing its "offensive effort". Just before 9pm, Israel confirms it has completed an attack on another nuclear site. 9pm: An incoming missile alert is sent to Israeli residents. At the same time, Iran's supreme leader posts on X saying that Israel has initiated a war and that Tehran will not allow it to conduct such tacks without grave consequences. Iran's Revolutionary Guard says it carried out attacks against "dozens of targets, military centres and airbases". 10pm: Medics say five people have been wounded in Iran's attack on Israel. Half an hour later, the military tells Israelis they can leave air raid shelters, but they must stay near them in case of further attacks. Israel's defence minister says Iran has "crossed red lines" after it "dared to fire missiles at civilian population concentrations". Countries gather for talks As tensions rise, the United Nations Security Council meets 11pm (5pm in New York): The United Nations Security Council holds a meeting in New York on rising tensions between the two countries. The UK's representative says: "We urge all parties to urgently step back, show restraint and reduce tensions." Iran's representative to the UN then says Israel's strikes on Iran have killed 78 people and injured more than 320, most of them civilians. Amir-Saeid Iravani accuses the US of providing intelligence and political support for Israel's strikes on Iran. 14 June 2025 It is now almost 24 hours since fighting began 1am: A loud boom is heard in Jerusalem. Air raid sirens sound in the city, as well as in Tel Aviv. 0:30 5am: Israel says a new wave of missiles has been launched from Iran, and that it is working to intercept them. It later says 21 have been hurt in the rocket strike. Fighting enters a second day Neither side shows signs of backing down 8am: Alerts are activated across Israel, warning of incoming Iranian drones. Iran says 20 children are among those killed in Israeli strikes. Iran warns the strikes will continue, with a senior military official quoted as saying conflict will spread to US bases in the region over the coming days. Israel says three people have died, and around 53 have been hurt across multiple cities. It claims "dozens" of jets flew over Tehran overnight. Midday (10am BST): Iran warns UK, US and France not to help Israel stop its strikes on the country, threatening to retaliate if they do. 2pm: Iran says three more nuclear scientists have been killed. At the same time, five people are arrested in Iran for "collaborating with Israel". This is what we know about those who were targeted 4pm: Iran says it is considering closing the world's most important shipping route for international oil. Blocking the route could push the price of oil from £55 a barrel to more than £74. 8pm (6pm BST): The UK announces it is "moving jets" to the Middle East. RAF and military assets will now be sent to the country, despite warnings from Iran that they could be targeted. 11pm: The IDF warns citizens to remain close to protected spaces. 15 June 2025 A third full night of fighting begins Midnight: Israeli police say there are several reports from civilians of explosions in northern Israel. The country later reports 14 people have been injured. 1am (7pm in Washington DC): Donald Trump says he spoke with Vladimir Putin about Iran in a call. The US leader said the Russian president called him to wish him a happy birthday and shared his opinion that "this war in Israel-Iran should end". 4:07 2am: The IDF says it is operating to intercept missiles launched from Iran. It says its air force is striking military targets in Tehran. 3am: Israel says a new barrage of Iranian missiles have been fired towards the country. It activates sirens a short while later following strikes from Iran and now Yemen. 4am: An eight-storey residential building in Tel Aviv is hit, Israeli authorities say, killing at least one person. The death toll from the night eventually rises to 13, with more than 200 injured. 8am (1am in Washington DC): Trump threatens to respond to any attack by Iran on the US with "the full strength and might of the US Armed Forces". In a post on Truth Social, he says the US had "nothing to do with the attack on Iran, tonight". 10am: An evacuation warning is issued to all Iranian civilians living near weapon facilities.
