For the past three decades as a political figure, Benjamin Netanyahu has been obsessed with Iran’s perceived existential threat to Israel, particularly its emerging nuclear capabilities which presented a potential challenge to the country’s nationally pursued hegemony over nuclear arms in the Middle East. This perception became a central theme and characteristic feature of the rightwing politics practiced by Netanyahu. Throughout his seventeen-year-long career as prime minister, he pursued opportunities and ways to eliminate that challenge once and for all. On June 13, 2025, that opportunity became a reality. Indeed, a long-held wish came true for Netanyahu and was made possible by the presence of a supportive or, at the very least, sympathetic administration in Washington.
As the military conflict between Israel and Iran escalated with 234 deaths, mostly civilians, and massive physical destruction reported by both sides, the nature of the American role in the emergence, intensification, and potential spread of the conflict became more central to understanding, and more significantly, managing the dangerous clash. What is the US role in this conflict? Was Washington aware of the Israeli plan to attack Iran or was it indeed taken by surprise as it claims? Has the Trump administration been conspiring with the Netanyahu government in misleading Iran? Is president Trump serious in proposing an end to the war with Russian mediation?
US Statements: The Art of Diplomatic Doublespeak
As soon as news of the Israeli strike became public, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio moved swiftly to deny US involvement and urged Iran not to target US interests or personnel in the region. Rubio said, “Tonight Israel took unilateral action against Iran. We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region.” President Donald Trump quickly reinforced these statements, reiterating in no uncertain terms that “the U.S. had nothing to do with the attack on Iran, tonight,” but warned Tehran, as did Secretary Rubio, that he would deploy “the full strength and might of the U.S. armed forces” should Iran attack US assets in the region.”
Nevertheless, Rubio’s statement would have made sense except for the quick contradictory remarks that followed by no other than the president himself. On June 13, Mr. Trump revealed to Reuters that he “knew everything, and I tried to save Iran humiliation and death. I tried to save them very hard because I would have loved to have seen a deal worked out.” This is the clearest admission so far of possible cooperation with Israel on the strikes to enhance the US chances at reaching a nuclear deal with Tehran on American terms. By utilizing Israeli threats as a leverage to extract concessions from Iran, President Trump raised serious doubts about the veracity of his earlier pressure on Netanyahu to delay an Israeli attack when he expressed American support for the strikes, describing them as “excellent” and “very successful.” Needless to say, the sixth round of nuclear talks scheduled for Sunday June 15 in Muscat, Oman became the first diplomatic casualty of this ill-conceived war.
US diplomatic waffling and doublespeak did not end here. In an interview with ABC News aired on Sunday, June 15, 2025, President Trump insisted that the United States is not involved in Israel’s military strikes against Iran, which he characterized as “very devastating,” but “it’s possible we could get involved,” without specifying the nature of that involvement. Is the president talking about getting involved in the military campaign by continuing to equip Israeli troops with the necessary US intelligence and weapons systems to prevail? Or is he talking about US troops coming to Israel’s rescue to help defend it against Iranian counterattacks by expanding current US assistance to shoot down ballistic missiles? Or is he talking about a more positive role seeking to end the hostilities between Israel and Iran, as he discussed in his recent telephone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin?
The American Role Thus Far
The Trump administration has not been a neutral bystander in the ongoing Israel-Iran war but has indeed stood by Israel. Even though US troops might not have taken an active part in the Israeli strikes, according to unnamed US officials, the United States quietly delivered hundreds of Hellfire missiles to the Netanyahu government just three days before Israel launched its unprecedented operation “Rising Lion” against Iran.
Second, the extent of coordination between Washington and Tel-Aviv might have been kept hidden from the American public, but Prime Minister Netanyahu praised President Trump and told FOX News host Bret Baier that Israel and the United States are “fully coordinated.”
Third, some pro-Israel advocates in Washington claim that the Israeli surprise attack on Iran was part of a well-coordinated and highly effective deception operation orchestrated by President Trump and Premier Netanyahu. To be sure, the Trump administration’s claims that the United States has nothing to do with Israel’s strikes against Iran have been rendered moot despite the White House’s continuing obfuscation and denials of involvement in another very dangerous war in the Middle East.
The views expressed in this publication are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Arab Center Washington DC, its staff, or its Board of Directors.
Featured image credit: Screencap/X
