Netanyahu's influence over Trump's Iran policy

Sep 23, 2026

A claim that Israel steered Trump into striking Iran is bad news for anyone hoping the conflict winds down soon.

  • Netanyahu is described as taking the lead role at a White House meeting, with Trump deferring to him.
  • Israel's spy chiefs pushed for a strike on a gathering of Iran's leadership in Tehran, and Trump agreed.
  • The January protests in Iran are framed as a foreign-backed operation, not a genuine uprising.
  • The bet that Iranians would topple their own government failed, and the government is stronger.
  • The real goal was never regime change but locking the US into open-ended escalation with Iran.

Outlook: Expect the standoff with Iran to grind on, with the US pulled deeper in rather than stepping back.

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