• US president is positioning himself as ‘man of peace’, but experts fear Israeli attack will ‘destroy US diplomatic efforts’
• Analysts say Israeli attack will ‘split his advisers and political base’, and test his promise of not dragging America into another war

WASHINGTON: When US President Donald Trump publicly implored Israel not to attack Iran, he declared, once again, that his goal was to be a peacemaker.

Hours later on Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — one of Trump’s closest international allies — unleashed a major military campaign described as a “pre-emptive” strike against Iran’s nuclear programme.

The attack marks the latest setback for Trump’s lofty goal set out at the start of his second term of being a “man of peace”.

He has repeatedly hailed US diplomacy that helped reach a ceasefire last month between India and Pakistan as a triumph, saying he averted nuclear war.

But Russian President Vladimir Putin, with whom Trump has also boasted a warm relationship, has rebuffed his overtures for a ceasefire with Ukraine.

Although the US president has been firm that he would not drag his country into another “forever war”, yet Israel’s strikes on Iran will test that promise as never before. It may potentially be setting up a showdown with his base as Trump decides how much support the US will offer.

Trump, who hours earlier warned that a strike would cause “massive conflict,” afterward praised Israeli strikes as “excellent” and boasted that Israel had “the best and most lethal military equipment anywhere in the world” thanks to the United States — and was planning more strikes unless Iran agrees on a deal.

He was careful not to distance himself from Israel, while some sources sought to suggest that the public US statements were meant to catch Iran off guard.

Before Israel launched its operation, Trump said: “I don’t want them going in, because I think it would blow it.”

“We’ve clearly seen a fork in the road in the American and Israeli approaches to this problem set,” said Dana Stroul, a former senior Pentagon official who is a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

“These strikes are going to disrupt and delay, and degrade Iran’s nuclear program. The question, I think, is whether or not the United States and Israel in the future are going to work together on what to do to maximise the time that’s put back on the clock,” she said.

Daniel Shapiro, who served as US ambassador to Israel under former president Barack Obama, said he was certain the United States would support Israel in defense against Iranian retaliation.

But Trump will face a harder decision on “whether to use the United States’ unique capabilities to destroy Tehran’s underground nuclear facilities and prevent an Iranian nuclear weapon,” said Shapiro, now at the Atlantic Council.

“The decision will split his advisers and political base, amid accusations, and perhaps his own misgivings, that Netanyahu is attempting to drag him into war.”

Trump’s Democratic rivals, who mostly backed his diplomacy on Iran, were aghast at Israel’s action ahead of new US-Iran talks.

“This attack by Netanyahu is pure sabotage,” said Democratic Representative Joaquin Castro. “What does ‘America First’ even mean if Trump allows Netanyahu to drag the country into a war Americans don’t want?” he wrote on social media.

Published in Dawn, June 14th, 2025