Netanyahu Continues Pushing for Trump’s Attack on Iran / Trump’s Remarks at the “Board of Peace” Raise Concerns in Tel Aviv

According to Rokna, the report adds: For many observers, Netanyahu’s overt support for a US strike recalls events leading up to the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. Netanyahu, who lost the 2000 elections and was out of power at the time but remained a prominent figure in Israel’s security sphere, traveled to Washington in September 2002 as a “concerned citizen” to persuade American lawmakers that an attack on Iraq to topple Saddam Hussein was necessary. In his congressional remarks, he argued that overthrowing Hussein’s regime would also send a message to Tehran, thereby creating a period of stability and peace in the region. The effort proved effective.

Congress authorized the attack, which began in March 2003 and swiftly toppled Saddam Hussein, but in the long term entangled US forces in a bloody conflict and produced a prolonged period of instability in Iraq. The Iraq war not only failed to contain Iran but had the opposite effect, undermining the longstanding mutual deterrence between Iran and Iraq and extending Tehran’s influence throughout the region and beyond through a network of Iran-aligned rulers and militias in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen.

Israel’s attempt to lead the US campaign against Saddam reflected a fundamental principle that has underpinned Israel’s struggle against Iran and its nuclear ambitions over the past 30 years: any major action to contain hostile regional forces must be led by the United States and its Western allies, not Israel itself.

Trump in the Driver’s Seat

Trump has taken the initiative against Iran without consulting Congress. Israel, contrary to its longstanding policy, now insists on playing a frontline role.

Military officials have warned Netanyahu to refrain from this course of action, citing two reasons: the risk that an attack on Iran could escalate into a protracted, complex war that, in response, targets Israeli territory, and the possibility that Israel would be accused of dragging the US into an unnecessary war.

Nevertheless, Netanyahu has decided to disregard these warnings and participate in any action planned against the Tehran government.

A senior Israeli security official, speaking anonymously to Al-Monitor about the potential US strike, said: “This action will affect the entire region in a way not seen in the past 100 years.”

To initiate the strike, Trump will select a plan proposed by the Pentagon. According to Israeli political sources, Netanyahu’s cabinet hopes that Trump will choose a coordinated campaign to topple the Islamic Republic.

Concerns Over Trump’s Approach

Given the potentially transformative regional consequences of a US strike, Trump’s Thursday speech at the newly established “Board of Peace” has raised concerns among some senior Israeli diplomatic officials.

A senior Israeli diplomat, speaking anonymously to Al-Monitor, said: “The president did not mention ballistic missiles at all. This raises questions about whether he has decided to target only the nuclear program in pursuit of a swift agreement with Iran, or whether all of this is merely a maneuver to gain leverage in negotiations with Iran.”

US and Iranian representatives held a second round of talks in Geneva last Tuesday following the first round in Muscat on February 6. Both sides reported progress, but significant gaps remain.

Senior Israeli diplomatic officials are also analyzing Trump’s Thursday remark that the world will know within “10 days” what is happening.

Is this statement a tactic to buy more time for negotiations, or a ruse similar to one used by the White House in June last year to keep Iran in a false sense of security before Israel launched its own operation?

According to intelligence assessments, Iran is undertaking an extensive effort to rebuild and expand its ballistic missile arsenal.

Another senior Israeli diplomat told Al-Monitor anonymously: “The Iranians have realized that their ballistic missiles are their only significant threat against Israel.”

He added that prior to the Gaza war, which began with a Hamas attack in southern Israel in October 2023, Israeli intelligence assessed that Iran was seeking to acquire 10,000 heavy ballistic missiles capable of reaching Israel.

He noted: “This number is by no means less serious than a nuclear weapon.”

Israeli strikes on missile stockpiles, launchers, and production facilities have caused damage, but the reconstruction of this arsenal has proceeded much faster than initially estimated.

According to Israeli media reports, at the current pace, Iran may possess approximately 5,000 missiles by the end of next year.

The senior diplomat said: “This situation will be intolerable.”

As Israel is committed to any agreement Trump signs with Iran, if the United States negotiates a deal that delays Tehran’s nuclear program for a long period but does not limit its ballistic missile program, Israel will find itself in a national security dilemma.

Tense Days Ahead

Meanwhile, with the continued strengthening of US military presence in the region and ongoing speculation about an imminent strike, Israelis remain anxious. For older Israelis, the current atmosphere recalls the months leading up to the 1967 war, when the government debated launching a preemptive strike against Egypt and Syria.

The tense anticipation ended when Prime Minister Levi Eshkol issued the order to attack. Nearly 60 years later, Netanyahu awaits Trump’s order to put an end to the anxiety and speculation.

Netanyahu’s considerations are not only rooted in national security but also personal political concerns. His political future has been shaken following the Hamas attack in 2023 and the public perception in Israel of his government’s responsibility for political and military failures that enabled the attack. A US strike on Iran could significantly enhance his chances of political survival in the elections scheduled for later this year.

A survey published Friday by the newspaper Maariv shows that the Likud party would secure 26 Knesset seats if elections were held today, compared to 25 seats in the January poll.

Netanyahu’s preferred plan to gain both electoral and personal advantage involves a US strike on Iran with Israeli participation—a historic victory under his leadership that would also allow him to advance the elections from the planned October date to the end of June and capitalize on it. Netanyahu has benefited from long-term political fortune that has kept him in power despite the Hamas offensive.