In an Oval Office appearance with Netanyahu earlier this month, Trump confirmed he had opted for diplomacy. “I wouldn’t say waved off,” he said when asked if he blocked the Israeli plan. “I’m not in a rush to do it because I think that Iran has a chance to have a great country and to live happily without death… That’s my first option.”
Bannon praised the president’s response, saying, “Right there, he lays it out very simply. They can’t have a nuclear weapon. But I don’t want to attack. I want to live happily without death.”
According to the report, Netanyahu’s April 7 visit to the White House came after a phone call earlier that month during which Trump refused to discuss Iran policy and instead invited him for an in-person meeting. Though the visit was officially framed as part of trade talks, Israeli officials privately hoped to secure final U.S. approval for the strike.
Israeli military planners had initially proposed a combined airstrike and commando raid but shifted to a broader aerial campaign that could launch in May. The plan depended on U.S. assets already deployed to the region, including two aircraft carriers, missile defense systems and strategic bombers.
Following the Washington talks, CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited Israel for further discussions with Netanyahu and Mossad chief David Barnea. A range of alternative strategies, including covert operations and expanded sanctions enforcement, remains under consideration.
For now, President Trump has made clear that diplomacy is the administration’s priority—at least while negotiations show potential. “If a military solution is needed, that’s what will happen,” he said following the Oval Office meeting. “Israel, of course, would lead it.”
