Israel received a "green light" from Trump to strike Iran – Axios
US President Donald Trump approved Israel's attack on Iran and only pretended to oppose it. Thus, the United States administration wanted to mislead Iran and prevent it from hiding people involved in the development of nuclear weapons. This is reported by Axios, citing two unnamed Israeli officials.
Media sources reported that the US public position was very different from its private one.
The statements by Trump and his administration were allegedly intended to reassure Iran that no attack was planned, ensuring that Iranians on Israel's target list would not move to new locations.
Axios sources said that aides to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters that Trump tried to slow down the Israeli strike during a phone call with Netanyahu on Monday, June 9.
In fact, according to Israeli officials, the conversation was about coordinating actions before the attack.
"We had a clear green light, permission from the US," the media sources told the outlet.
As Axios notes, the Trump administration has so far distanced itself from the Israeli operation in public statements and private messages to allies.
- On the night of June 13, Israel launched Operation Eastern Lion . The IDF carried out a "preemptive strike" on Iran's nuclear program facilities to prevent Tehran from obtaining weapons of mass destruction.
- Immediately after the strikes, the US disavowed the operation, assuring that it was not participating .
- As a result of Israeli strikes on Iran, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Mohammad Bagheri, and the IRGC Commander-in-Chief, Hossein Salami, were killed .