President Donald Trump has continually opposed Israel using military force against Iran over its nuclear program. But he appears to have changed his mind shortly before the recent airstrikes on several nuclear facilities in Iran.
NBC News reported that Trump’s change of heart occurred after a “pivotal briefing” with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force Gen. Dan Caine.
When Caine briefed him on June 8, Trump was increasingly frustrated with Iran for not responding to the latest proposal for a nuclear deal. He still remained hopeful that his Middle East peace negotiator, Steve Witkoff, who had been scheduled to conduct another round of peace talks in the region Sunday, could soon get an agreement over the line.
Trump was also facing private pressure from longtime allies who advocate more isolationist policies and wanted him to stop Israel from taking military action or at least withhold U.S. support for any such operation.
This account of Trump’s thinking leading up to the Israeli operation is based on interviews with five current U.S. officials and two Middle Eastern officials, as well as two people with knowledge of the deliberations, two former U.S officials familiar with the deliberations and a Trump ally. The White House didn’t immediately comment, and the Defense Department didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Facing immense pressure to strike Iran, President Trump proves he is a force for PEACE not WAR. pic.twitter.com/VovDL8ZLaW
— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) June 15, 2025
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In the days leading up to the airstrikes, Israel’s government had reportedly “laid much of the groundwork for Trump’s measured change” even while Trump hoped he could persuade Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to hold off. However, the president eventually realized that Israel was “determined” to destroy Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
Still, Trump was not willing to agree to each of the Israeli government’s desires. He emphatically rejected plans to assassinate Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader. Even so, Trump still pushed for a diplomatic resolution, hoping to use the airstrikes to bring Tehran to the negotiating table.
“Iran and Israel should make a deal, and will make a deal, just like I got India and Pakistan to make,” the president wrote in a post on Truth Social.
One of the factors prompting Trump’s seeming about face was an allegation made by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that Iran had failed to adhere to its nonproliferation requirements. “Trump was also concerned by the sense coming from Israel, the United States and the IAEA that Iran had achieved leaps in its nuclear program, and he didn’t want to be the president on whose watch it was able to obtain a nuclear weapon,” NBC News reported.
Iran reportedly signaled that it would be willing to work out a deal with Israel as long as the US does not become more involved in the hostilities.
WSJ: Iran wants to negotiate as long as the US stays out of the war
— Saagar Enjeti (@esaagar) June 16, 2025
Great! Take them up on it and don't let Israel scuttle it. This is Trump's Singapore moment if he wants. Meet with them face to face and end this NOW pic.twitter.com/lLLEO2jsO5
Some have expressed concerns about Trump supporting Israel’s strikes on Iran. On the right, those who embrace the “America First” ideology argued that Trump was needlessly involving the US in a regional conflict. However, others have suggested that preventing Iran from going nuclear protects America.
Most Americans appear to support this move. The Ronald Reagan Institute released the findings of a poll showing that 45 percent of respondents would support Israel bombing Iran’s nuclear facilities. About 37 percent opposed the move and 18 percent indicated they weren’t sure whether they backed the airstrikes.
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