Source: Jewish Insider
By Marc Rod
April 16, 2025
Israeli strikes scuttled; Trump rejected Israeli plan for
striking Iranian nuclear program: Jewish Insider report
The president reportedly chose to pursue talks with Iran over supporting Israeli strikes and told Israeli officials he would not back them while negotiations are ongoing
Faced with fault lines inside his own administration over Iran policy, President Donald Trump rejected an Israeli plan, which would have required American backing and potential U.S. involvement, to strike Iran’s nuclear program as soon as May, The New York Times reported on Wednesday.
The Times reported that Trump chose instead to pursue diplomatic talks with Iran, which began last Saturday and have fueled concerns among Iran hawks in both the U.S. and Israel that the U.S. may make concessions on key issues that would allow Iran to retain some of its nuclear program. He reportedly told Israeli officials he would not back a military strike while talks are ongoing.
NEW YORK TIMES — Israel had planned to strike Iranian nuclear sites as soon as next month but was waved off by President Trump in recent weeks in favor of negotiating a deal with Tehran to limit its nuclear program, according to administration officials and others briefed on the discussions.
Israeli officials had recently developed plans to attack Iranian nuclear sites in May. They were prepared to carry them out, and at times were optimistic that the United States would sign off. The goal of the proposals, according to officials briefed on them, was to set back Tehran’s ability to develop a nuclear weapon by a year or more.
Almost all of the plans would have required U.S. help not just defend Israel from Iranian retaliation, but also to ensure that an Israeli attack was successful, making the United States a central part of the attack itself.
For now, Mr. Trump has chosen diplomacy over military action. In his first term, he tore up the Iran nuclear deal negotiated by the Obama administration. But in his second term, eager to avoid being sucked into another war in the Middle East, he has opened negotiations with Tehran, giving it a deadline of just a few months to negotiate a deal over its nuclear program.
NY Times-—Israeli officials had their own plans to attack Iranian nuclear sites, back in May.
They were all prepared to carry them out, and were sure the United States would sign off.
Israeli plans would have required US help not just to defend Israel from Iranian retaliation, but also ......to finance...... and ensure that an Israeli attack was successful....... making the United States a central part of the attack itself.
Fetterman visited Israel to show his support just recently.