President Donald Trump was persuaded to launch war on Iran by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, despite deep skepticism from his inner circle, according to a new report from The New York Times. The report, based on the upcoming book 'Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump' by Jonathan Swan and Maggie Haberman, details high-stakes meetings in the buildup to the conflict.
Vice President JD Vance was the most vocal opponent of war, while CIA Director Jim Ratcliffe, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Gen. Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, warned Trump that Netanyahu had 'oversold' what could be achieved. However, only Vance went as far as to call war a 'terrible idea.' On February 11, Israeli officials gave a secret presentation in the Situation Room, after which Trump reportedly said, 'Sounds good to me,' which Netanyahu took as a green light for the joint operation that has since killed more than 3,500 people, including 1,600 civilians and 13 US service members.
At a follow-up meeting on February 12, US intelligence officials broke down Netanyahu’s plan into four parts: killing Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, destroying Iran’s power projection, sparking a popular uprising, and installing a secular leader. While parts one and two were deemed achievable, Ratcliffe called regime change 'farcical,' and Rubio reportedly said, 'In other words, it’s bull****.' Caine warned Trump that the Israelis 'oversell' and that their plans are not always well-developed.
Caine also shared alarming military assessments, warning that war would drastically deplete US weapons stockpiles, particularly missile interceptors strained by support for Ukraine and Israel. He flagged the difficulty of securing the Strait of Hormuz, but Trump dismissed the risk, assuming Iran would surrender. Two days before ordering the bombing on February 28, Trump polled his team but had effectively made up his mind weeks earlier, according to advisers. Vance warned of regional chaos, mass casualties, and a split in Trump’s base, while communications director Steven Cheung highlighted the likely public relations fallout given Trump’s campaign opposition to overseas wars.
