Key Points – Following Israel’s massive air assault on Iran on June 12th, the Trump administration is navigating a complex diplomatic situation.
While Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated the US was “not involved” in the unilateral Israeli action, President Trump’s own social media posts suggest he may have given Israel a tacit green light.
After warning Iran of a “massive conflict” if a nuclear deal wasn’t reached, Trump posted that Iran “should have” made a deal within his 60-day ultimatum, which expired the day of the attack.
This positions Trump in a difficult spot, balancing the actions of a key ally with his own base’s isolationist wing, which opposes another Middle East war.
Iran and Israel Go To War: What Will Trump Do?
In 2008, President George W. Bush rejected a plea by Israel to help it attack Iran’s main nuclear complex, something that came to light the following year. However, the US instead authorized a covert action to sabotage Iran’s nuclear program.
Throughout the Obama Administration, the US and Israel were at odds over how to deal with Iran, especially after the US was part of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear deal, something strongly opposed by Israel. Trump exited the JCPOA in 2017.
That led up to this week, with the Trump Administration in talks with Iran on a separate nuclear deal. Early on Thursday, Trump warned of the possibility of “massive conflict” should an agreement not be made.
When asked if strikes were “imminent,” Trump replied, “Well, I don’t want to say imminent, but it looks like it’s something that could very well happen.”
It turned out the attacks were imminent.
Israel Attacks
On Thursday night, Israel launched a widespread strike on Iran, which struck Iran’s nuclear sites while also reportedly wiping out Tehran’s chain of command.
Did the US know about the attack in advance? That depends on which official you ask.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio at first said that the US was “not involved” in the attack.
“Tonight, Israel took unilateral action against Iran. We are not involved in strikes against Iran, and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region,” Rubio said in a statement.
“Israel advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its self-defense. President Trump and the Administration have taken all necessary steps to protect our forces and remain in close contact with our regional partners.”
However, Trump said something else.
“Two months ago I gave Iran a 60 day ultimatum to ‘make a deal.'” Trump said on Truth Social Thursday. “They should have done it! Today is day 61. I told them what to do, but they just couldn’t get there. Now they have, perhaps, a second chance!”
The previous night, he’d been a bit more long-winded in making a similar point.
“I gave Iran chance after chance to make a deal. I told them, in the strongest of words, to ‘just do it,’ but no matter how hard they tried, no matter how close they got, they just couldn’t get it done,” Trump added. “I told them it would be much worse than anything they know, anticipated, or were told, that the United States makes the best and most lethal military equipment anywhere in the World, BY FAR, and that Israel has a lot of it, with much more to come – And they know how to use it. Certain Iranian hardliner’s spoke bravely, but they didn’t know what was about to happen. They are all DEAD now, and it will only get worse!”
Trouble in the MAGA Coalition?
The other question is, what will Trump’s supporters say, especially if Israel’s move in Iran leads to a larger, protracted regional conflict?
Trump has long boasted of not having started any new wars in his first term, with the isolationist wing of the MAGA coalition often warning against war with Iran.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) said this week that “Americans don’t want to bomb Iran because the secular government of Israel says that Iran is on the verge of developing a nuclear bomb any day now,” adding in her X post that “We’ve been told that for the past 20 years.”
“Everyone I know is tired of US intervention and regime change in foreign countries.”
About the Author:
Stephen Silver is an award-winning journalist, essayist and film critic, and contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. For over a decade, Stephen has authored thousands of articles that focus on politics, technology, and the economy. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @StephenSilver, and subscribe to his Substack newsletter.
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