U.S. officials say Israel was to join planned strike on Iran before it was halted
U.S. officials told Israeli media that Israel had agreed to participate in a planned attack on Iran, which President Trump later cancelled after pressure from Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
U.S. officials briefed Israeli outlet N12 on Sunday that Israel had been slated to take part in a large-scale military operation against Iran. The officials said Israel indicated it would only support the strike if it targeted Iranian government facilities and economic sites, otherwise it would deem the operation unnecessary.
According to the same sources, President Donald Trump was reportedly close to authorising the attack before regional allies, including Qatar and Saudi Arabia, urged him to give Iran another chance to negotiate, leading to the operation’s cancellation.
In a post on his social-media platform on Saturday night, Trump said the United States had been prepared to launch a major attack on Iran and claimed to have Israel’s backing for a swift diplomatic settlement.
"The USA is locked and loaded and ready to go against the Islamic Republic of Iran," Trump wrote, adding that the planned action would involve a level of force "not seen since World War II."