President Trump was matter-of-fact when he was asked about the likelihood of an Israeli military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities. “I don’t want to say imminent, but it looks like it’s something that could very well happen,” he told reporters Thursday afternoon.
It turns out that Trump was off-the-mark. Hours later, the Israelis conducted a major bombing campaign against dozens of Iranian targets purportedly linked to its nuclear, missile and military programs. Dubbed “Operation Rising Lion,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed the operation was geared to hit the heart of Tehran’s nuclear capability in order to protect Israel’s survival. “This operation will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat,” the Israeli premier said, adding that Natanz, Tehran’s largest uranium enrichment complex, was targeted as well. Several senior Iranian officials, including Gen. Hossein Salami, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, were reportedly eliminated, although given the fast-moving developments and multiple claims, it’s hard to determine anything with full accuracy.
The Trump administration obviously knew something was up. A day before Israel’s military action, the State Department and Pentagon ordered the evacuation of non-essential diplomatic staff from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad as well as other U.S. military facilities in the Gulf. But being prepared doesn’t necessarily mean the administration will be happy about what Netanyahu has chosen to do. You will hear the usual statements about U.S. support for Israel, and as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote in a press release, “Israel advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its self-defense.” Yet it was Rubio’s assertion that Washington wasn’t involved in this operation that was most interesting, and it demonstrates something that has been clear for quite some time—Trump wants nothing to do with another war in the Middle East, if he can help it.
Three things are notable as developments progress.
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