Trump Says Israel Would Lead Strike on Iran \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ President Donald Trump warned Wednesday that Israel would lead any military strike on Iran if Tehran refuses to abandon its nuclear ambitions. The remarks came ahead of U.S.-Iran talks scheduled in Oman this weekend. Trump emphasized America’s autonomy but reiterated his support for Israel’s leading role in confronting Iran.
Quick Looks
- President Trump said Israel would lead a strike on Iran if needed.
- Talks between U.S. and Iran are set for this weekend in Oman.
- Trump reaffirmed U.S. independence but emphasized Israel’s central role.
- Israeli PM Netanyahu supports Trump’s diplomatic efforts with Tehran.
- Netanyahu favors a Libya-style agreement that dismantles Iran’s nuclear program.
- Iran insists its program is peaceful and monitored by the IAEA.
- Trump says the talks are likely “not going along well.”
- U.S. Treasury issued new sanctions targeting Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.
- Iran’s President Pezeshkian invites U.S. investment if a deal is reached.
Deep Look
President Donald Trump issued a stern warning to Iran on Wednesday, declaring that Israel would take the lead in any potential military strike if Tehran refuses to abandon its nuclear weapons ambitions. Speaking from the White House ahead of planned U.S.-Iran talks this weekend in Oman, Trump signaled that military action remains firmly on the table should diplomacy fail.
“If it requires military, we’re going to have military,” Trump said. “Israel will obviously be very much involved in that. They’ll be the leader of that. But nobody leads us—we do what we want to do.”
The comments were made just days before high-stakes negotiations between U.S. and Iranian officials, talks that have been described by the White House as “direct,” though Iran continues to insist the talks remain “indirect.”
Trump’s statement adds a new layer of tension to the already fraught nuclear landscape in the Middle East. Iran’s nuclear program has advanced significantly in recent years, pushing U.S. and Israeli concerns to new heights. Intelligence assessments suggest that Tehran is closer than ever to developing a functional nuclear weapon, a scenario Washington and Tel Aviv both describe as unacceptable.
Israel’s Support, and a Libya-Style Model
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced support for Trump’s diplomatic push, noting that while Israel would welcome a peaceful agreement, any deal must fully dismantle Iran’s nuclear capabilities. Netanyahu referred to the 2003 Libya model, in which former leader Moammar Gadhafi surrendered his nuclear ambitions in full.
“I think that would be a good thing,” Netanyahu said. “But whatever happens, we have to make sure that Iran does not have nuclear weapons.”
Netanyahu, known for his hardline stance on Iran, played a major role in convincing President Trump to withdraw from the 2015 nuclear accord brokered under the Obama administration—a deal Trump later dubbed “the worst deal ever.” That agreement placed strict limits on Iran’s uranium enrichment in exchange for sanction relief, but Trump unilaterally withdrew the U.S. in 2018, escalating tensions and triggering a series of international diplomatic breakdowns.
Talks in Oman, But Optimism Fades
Despite the upcoming talks in Oman, President Trump struck a pessimistic tone.
“When you start talks, you know if they’re going along well or not,” he said. “And I would say the conclusion would be what I think they’re not going along well. So that’s just a feeling.”
Trump declined to offer a timeline for a potential resolution but reaffirmed his core red line: Iran must never obtain a nuclear weapon.
“I want Iran to be great,” Trump added. “The only thing that they can’t have is a nuclear weapon. They understand that.”
U.S. Escalates Pressure With New Sanctions
On the same day, the U.S. Treasury Department announced fresh sanctions targeting Iran’s nuclear network. The sanctions list includes five Iranian entities and one individual accused of supporting uranium enrichment and related nuclear infrastructure. Among the blacklisted organizations are:
- Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI)
- Iran Centrifuge Technology Company
- Thorium Power Company
- Pars Reactors Construction and Development Company
- Azarab Industries Co.
These latest measures further isolate Iran economically and aim to slow its nuclear development capabilities, even as diplomatic channels remain tenuous.
Iran’s New Offer: Investment for Peace
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian responded with a mix of defiance and pragmatism. In a speech from Tehran, the reformist leader reiterated that Iran does not seek a nuclear bomb, while signaling a new openness to economic engagement with the U.S.—if a deal is reached.
“His excellency has no opposition to investment by American investors in Iran,” Pezeshkian said, referring to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “American investors: Come and invest.”
The comment marks a stark departure from Iran’s previous post-2015 posture, when U.S. companies were largely banned from entering the Iranian market despite provisions in the nuclear deal that could have opened that door.
A Defining Foreign Policy Moment
With Iran edging closer to nuclear capability and the U.S. returning to a hardline negotiating posture, the coming days could prove decisive. Trump’s rhetoric makes it clear: any failure to secure a disarmament deal could result in military escalation, with Israel at the forefront.
As the Oman talks unfold, the international community will watch closely to see whether diplomacy can prevail—or if the U.S. and Israel are indeed preparing for confrontation.
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