FT: Netanyahu eyes Iran strike, but seeks Trump’s green light

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pressing ahead with plans for a potential military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, but sources close to his administration say he is unlikely to act without explicit backing from US President Donald Trump.

The Israeli premier, long a vocal opponent of Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, has made confronting Iran a central pillar of his political legacy, Caliber.Az reports per The Financial Times.

In recent months, as Israeli forces intensified operations in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon and Syria, Netanyahu has also been laying the groundwork for what insiders describe as his “ultimate mission”: neutralising Iran’s nuclear capabilities.

While Israel has conducted operations deep into Syria and Lebanon and taken increasingly assertive military steps across the region, an attack on Iran would mark a dramatic escalation — one that Israeli officials believe requires US political and military support. “This is what is on his mind. More than Gaza, more than Syria, more than Lebanon — Iran is the head of the snake,” said Nadav Shtrauchler, a political strategist who has advised Netanyahu.

Trump’s return to the White House has emboldened Netanyahu. The US president has appointed pro-Israel hardliners to key posts and lifted restrictions on weapons shipments, fuelling speculation that a more aggressive posture towards Iran could be imminent. Yet Trump, for now, is still pursuing a negotiated deal with Tehran, and analysts say Netanyahu is reluctant to act unilaterally for fear of jeopardising Israel’s relationship with its most critical ally.

“Diplomats are sceptical Netanyahu would launch a strike without a green light from Trump,” the report notes, citing fears that without American military support, Israel could only delay — not destroy — Iran’s nuclear programme.

Israeli officials believe the current regional dynamics, including the weakening of Hizbollah and recent damage to Iranian defences, have created a narrow window of opportunity. But that window may close if Washington’s stance shifts or domestic political turmoil returns to centre stage.

Netanyahu, whose leadership has been rocked by the October 7 Hamas attack and an ongoing corruption trial, is reportedly eager to redefine his legacy through a decisive confrontation with Iran. “If he changes the situation with Iran, his history will also be rewritten,” one strategist said.

For now, the world watches closely, as one of the Middle East’s most enduring flashpoints edges closer to a potential tipping point.

By Aghakazim Guliyev