Less than 48 hours before the US-Israeli operation on Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a final push in a phone call with US President Donald Trump, arguing that time was running out to act, reported news agency Reuters.
Intelligence briefings had indicated that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and senior officials were expected to gather in Tehran, presenting a rare opportunity for a “decapitation strike.” New inputs suggested the meeting had been moved forward, further shrinking the window for any operation.
While Trump had already approved military action in principle, officials said the timing and scope were still under consideration. The call, described by sources as Netanyahu’s “closing argument,” came at a decisive moment, according to the Reuters report.
MONTHS OF TENSIONS, FAILED TALKS
The strike was not a sudden decision. Trump had campaigned on avoiding new wars and initially pushed for diplomacy with Tehran. But talks over Iran’s nuclear programme stalled, prompting fresh military considerations.
A first wave of attacks came in June, when Israel struck Iranian nuclear and missile facilities, later joined by US forces in a 12-day operation that Trump said had “obliterated” key capabilities. Still, Israeli officials remained dissatisfied and pushed for further action.
During meetings, including one at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, Netanyahu highlighted Iran’s advancing missile programme and broader threat perception, urging a more decisive response.
Two developments also shaped Washington’s thinking. A US operation in Venezuela that removed President Nicolas Maduro without American casualties showed that high-risk missions could succeed with limited fallout. Around the same time, mass protests erupted in Iran, followed by a harsh crackdown by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, adding to concerns about instability.
WARNINGS, CALCULATIONS AND STRIKE
US officials had anticipated escalation. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned lawmakers that Israel could act with or without Washington and that Iran would likely retaliate against US targets and allies. Behind the scenes, coordination between Israeli forces and the US military’s Central Command intensified. By late February, many officials believed a strike was imminent.
Netanyahu argued the operation could be historic, potentially removing a long-standing adversary and even triggering internal upheaval in Iran. He also pointed to alleged Iranian plots against Trump, including a 2024 case linked to retaliation for the killing of Qassem Soleimani.
Trump ultimately gave the order, and strikes began on February 28. He later announced that Khamenei had been killed. The stated objective, according to the White House, was to dismantle Iran’s missile capabilities, weaken its military infrastructure and prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons.
FALLOUT AND UNCERTAIN OUTCOME
The consequences were immediate. Iran launched counterattacks on US assets and regional allies, the conflict disrupted key shipping routes and oil prices surged globally. Thousands of Iranian civilians were reported killed, along with US service members.
Despite expectations in some quarters of political change, US intelligence assessments had cautioned that killing Khamenei could lead to the rise of another hardliner. That prediction appears to have held. His son, Mojtaba Khamenei, has taken over as Supreme Leader, while security forces continue to maintain a tight grip on the ground.
Trump has maintained that the decision to strike was his alone. Netanyahu, for his part, has rejected suggestions that Israel dragged the US into the conflict. But accounts from officials indicate that the Israeli leader’s arguments, combined with shifting intelligence, played a key role in making a decision that has since reshaped the region.
With inputs from Reuters
