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Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of repeatedly pressuring U.S. President Donald Trump to approve a military strike on Iran’s nuclear sites—an effort Trump ultimately rejected in favor of direct negotiations with Tehran.
On his War Room podcast, Bannon criticized Netanyahu’s recent push for U.S. backing, calling it “arrogance” and saying the Israeli leader “forced his way” into two White House meetings. Bannon said the Israelis “tried to force the issue” by presenting detailed battle plans and asserting they had already disabled Iranian air defenses. “And he came over and did it again,” Bannon added. “President Trump kind of dropped the bomb on him in the room—‘Hey, by the way, we’re actually in negotiations. We start this Saturday in Oman.’”
Bannon’s comments followed a New York Times report revealing that Trump blocked a planned Israeli strike, initially set for May, after months of internal debate in Washington. While senior U.S. officials, including CENTCOM commander Gen. Michael Kurilla, were open to supporting the plan, others—including Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Vice President J.D. Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth—warned that it could trigger a regional war and push Iran to accelerate its nuclear program.
In an Oval Office appearance with Netanyahu earlier this month, Trump confirmed he had opted for diplomacy. “I wouldn’t say waved off,” he said when asked if he blocked the Israeli plan. “I’m 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.”
Bannon praised the president’s response, saying, “Right there, he lays it out very simply. They can’t have a nuclear weapon. But I don’t want to attack. I want to live happily without death.”
According to the report, Netanyahu’s April 7 visit to the White House came after a phone call earlier that month during which Trump refused to discuss Iran policy and instead invited him for an in-person meeting. Though the visit was officially framed as part of trade talks, Israeli officials privately hoped to secure final U.S. approval for the strike.
Israeli military planners had initially proposed a combined airstrike and commando raid but shifted to a broader aerial campaign that could launch in May. The plan depended on U.S. assets already deployed to the region, including two aircraft carriers, missile defense systems and strategic bombers.
Though some administration officials were still weighing support, a new intelligence assessment presented by Gabbard tipped the balance against the operation. American and Israeli officials both acknowledged that any strike would likely trigger a large-scale Iranian response and risk drawing the United States into war.
Netanyahu’s office did not deny the Times report but reiterated his long-standing position. “For over a decade, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has led the global campaign against Iran’s nuclear program,” the statement read. “It is only due to these operations that Iran does not currently possess a nuclear arsenal.”
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Following the Washington talks, CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited Israel for further discussions with Netanyahu and Mossad chief David Barnea. A range of alternative strategies, including covert operations and expanded sanctions enforcement, remains under consideration.
For now, President Trump has made clear that diplomacy is the administration’s priority—at least while negotiations show potential. “If a military solution is needed, that’s what will happen,” he said following the Oval Office meeting. “Israel, of course, would lead it.”