Trump Reportedly Called Off Iran Strikes Amid Splits in Administration

Reports emerged Wednesday night in the American media that President Donald Trump had called off a planned Israeli attack on Iran earlier this month.

According to the New York Times, internal debate had been ongoing within his Administration over the last few months over whether to support diplomacy or to order an attack on Iran.

The report goes further and says that Israel had recently developed plans to attack Iran in early May, including inserting commandos into Iran to disable Iran’s nuclear facilities. However, they concluded they would need American assistance—first, to defend Israel against an Iranian retaliation, and second, to play a central role in the goal of setting back Iran’s nuclear program by about a year.

Later, Israeli officials began lobbying the U.S. for an extended bombing campaign when the commando plan was deemed not ready until October.

According to the New York Times, Trump informed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this month, when he arrived in Washington D.C., that he was going to seek diplomacy for the time being.

At the same meeting, Trump said strikes on Iran were possible and Israel would take the lead if they happened.

Last month, Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), released a report stating that Iran is currently not seeking to produce a nuclear weapon.

At the same meeting where Trump reportedly told Netanyahu he would seek negotiations instead of strikes, Trump told reporters that military action against Iran was possible and Israel "Would take the lead" in any possible strikes.

The reported splits within the Trump Administration highlight another issue—alongside Ukraine and the trade war with China—where the Administration does not have a consensus on how best to proceed.

The next round of U.S.-Iran talks will take place in Rome on Friday, where the Foreign Minister of Oman will once again act as mediator between President Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.