US President Donald Trump, who in January said that he wants his legacy to be of a “peacemaker and unifier”, launched a direct attack on Iran. The strikes targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. Trump said that the US dropped a “full payload of bombs” on Fordow, given that it is located inside a mountain near Qom and is several feet under the surface.
But what changed Trump’s heart, who wanted to be a “peacemaker” and was poised to decide on the war “within two weeks”?
Trump motivated by Fox News coverage?
Well, as per a report by The New York Times, ahead of making his decision to drop bombs on Iran’s nuclear sites, he watched Fox News, where the guests urged him to join the Israeli side in the Mideast conflict.
Additionally, Trump’s inner circle was monitoring MAGA supporters’ reaction on social media – whether Trump, who in his early months warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel against a strike on Iran, should enter the conflict.
They also shared notes on public and private polling on the same. Most Americans didn’t want Iran to get a nuclear weapon, but a significant majority were also against the country going to war.
Donald Trump was closely following what people were saying on Fox News, where hosts and guests were strongly supporting Israel’s strikes on Iran, the outlet further reported. Some of them even suggested that Trump should take action too. According to reports, several of Trump’s advisers were worried because Tucker Carlson, one of the few conservative voices who opposed attacking Iran, was no longer on Fox, meaning Trump wasn’t hearing that side of the argument anymore.
Pentagon feared operational threat
A top military official said that since Trump was issuing warnings to Iran before the strikes using Truth Social, there was an operational threat to them. The officials at the Pentagon said that he gave too much notice that an attack was imminent, the NYT further reported.
“Everyone should evacuate Tehran!” he wrote on Truth Social. He then cut short his G7 meeting in Canada to work on a ceasefire between Iran and Israel, but instead to work on something “much bigger”.
“We now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran,” he had posted on Truth Social, adding, “We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding. He is an easy target, but is safe there — We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now.” He also demanded “Unconditional surrender”. In response, Iran’s Supreme Leader declared, “The battle begins.”
And just like they show in movies, the second batch of Cold War-era aircraft, B-2 Spirit bombers, headed over the Pacific Ocean, and they made sure that their journey was documented to create a false impression about the timing and direction of the attack.
After the US strikes on Iran, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Trump “successfully accomplished one of the most complex and historic military operations of all time” and that “many presidents have talked about this, but only President Trump had the guts to do it.”
After Israel launched strikes on Iran and killed its Wartime chief and other top military commanders, Trump called the operation “excellent” and “very successful” in calls with reporters. He hinted that he had played a larger role in the events than people might think. Later, he asked a political ally how the Israeli strikes were being received in the media, particularly curious about public sentiment. Trump reportedly claimed that “everyone” was urging him to become more directly involved, even suggesting the use of 30,000-pound GBU-57 “bunker buster” bombs on Fordow, Iran’s heavily fortified underground uranium-enrichment facility near Tehran.
The following day, Trump told an adviser he was seriously considering deploying those powerful bombs. He seemed particularly proud of their sheer force and the fact that the United States is the only country with such weapons. The adviser walked away from the discussion convinced that Trump had already made up his mind to target Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.
Iran, Israel came to me: Trump on brokering ceasefire
Iran launched its first retaliatory strike in response to Trump’s bombings, targeting a US military installation in Qatar. After this, Trump on Truth Social said that he brokered a “complete and total” ceasefire between the two nations.
“Officially, Iran will start the ceasefire and, upon the 12th Hour, Israel will start the ceasefire and, upon the 24th Hour, an Official end to ‘THE 12 DAY WAR’ will be saluted by the World. During each CEASEFIRE, the other side will remain PEACEFUL and RESPECTFUL. On the assumption that everything works as it should, which it will, I would like to congratulate both Countries, Israel and Iran, on having the Stamina, Courage, and Intelligence to end what should be called ‘THE 12 DAY WAR’,” Trump announced on Truth Social.
A few minutes back, he shared another post: “Israel & Iran came to me, almost simultaneously, and said, ‘Peace!’ I knew the time was now. The world, and the Middle East, are the real winners! Both nations will see tremendous love, peace, and prosperity in their futures. They have so much to gain, and yet, so much to lose if they stray from the road of righteousness & truth. The future for Israel & Iran is unlimited, & filled with great promise. God bless you both.”
However, Iran said there’s no agreement on a ceasefire, but Tehran will halt attacks if Israel stops its “illegal aggression” by 4 am local time.