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U.S. President Donald Trump responded Thursday to a New York Times report claiming he blocked an Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, saying he did not "wave off" such an operation but preferred a diplomatic path.
“I wouldn't say waved off,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “I am not in a rush to do it because I think that Iran has a chance to have a great country and to live happily without death... That’s my first option.”
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Trump says did not 'wave off' attack on Iran: 'I am not in a rush to do it'
“If there’s a second option [a military strike], I think it would be very bad for Iran,” he continued. “I think Iran wants to talk. I hope they want to talk. It would be very good for them if they do. I’d like to see Iran thrive in the future, do fantastically well. I know the Iranian people — they’re incredible people. They always have been.”
The New York Times, citing Trump administration officials, reported late Wednesday that Israel had been preparing to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities, possibly as soon as the following month, with full U.S. coordination. Trump, according to the report, canceled the plans in favor of launching a diplomatic effort aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear program through negotiations.
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The report said the decision followed months of internal debate in Washington over whether to back Israeli military action or pursue diplomacy while Iran remained militarily and economically weakened.
In response to the report, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not deny the claim that Trump had blocked the strike. Instead, a statement released Thursday evening reiterated Netanyahu’s long-standing campaign against Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
“For over a decade, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has led the global campaign against Iran's nuclear program, even when the threat was belittled and labeled ‘political spin,’ and the prime minister was called ‘paranoid,'” the statement read.
“The prime minister has led countless overt and covert operations in the campaign against Iran’s nuclear program. It is only due to these operations that Iran does not currently possess a nuclear arsenal.”
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, these actions delayed Iran’s nuclear program by roughly a decade, thanks to Netanyahu’s insistence on pursuing a firm policy despite domestic and international opposition. “As the prime minister has stated repeatedly: Israel will not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons.”
The statement was posted on the official “Prime Minister of Israel” X account, but not on Netanyahu’s personal social media pages.