President Trump informed Prime Minister Netanyahu that he would not support a plan to carry out a joint attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities planned for next month. 

According to a report by the New York Times, Mr. Trump made his decision after months of internal discussions on how to deal with Iran’s nuclear program and ended up giving negotiations a chance. 

The report, citing American and Israeli officials, also disclosed that Mr. Netanyahu had first considered a plan that would see a combination of joint Israeli-American airstrikes and Israeli commando raids on the ground in Iran to dismantle its nuclear program. Since preparations for this would take several months, Mr. Netanyahu reportedly ended up pushing for an extensive bombing campaign in Iran that would last for about a week. 

The remaining air defense systems in Iran would be the first target to pave the way for Israeli fighter jets. 

In a phone call on April 3, Mr. Trump told Mr. Netanyahu that he didn’t want to discuss plans to strike Iran over the phone and instead invited the prime minister for a visit to the White House a few days later. 

Mr. Netanyahu was then informed that the U.S. would not support Israel in an attack while Washington was trying to negotiate a deal with Tehran on its nuclear program. 

A number of high-level American officials were reportedly skeptical about the Israeli plan to attack Iran, including White House chief of staff Wiles, Defense Secretary Hegseth, Vice President Vance and Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence. 

During a press conference with Mr. Netanyahu at the White House on April 7, Mr Trump announced that the U.S. would begin negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program. The following day Mr. Trump clarified that a military option to stop Iran’s nuclear program was still on the table: “If it requires military, we’re going to have military. Israel will, obviously, be the leader of that.”

Mr. Netanyahu wanted to strike Iran’s nuclear program as early as 2010 but was opposed by his military and intelligence chiefs at the time. Benny Gantz, who was the IDF chief of staff in 2011, was among those who opposed an attack on Iran, according to Israeli journalist Ronen Bergman. 

Mr. Gantz, who would later become defence minister and today leads the National Unity party, now openly supports a strike. 

“The Iranian Regime are experts at stalling. The State of Israel must, and can remove the prospect of Iranian nuclear capabilities. Coordinating closely with our great ally the United States, it is time to change the Middle East,” Mr. Gantz said on Thursday.