(José Niño, Headline USA) Exclusive reporting by Axios has exposed a startling contradiction between the Trump administration’s public and private positions on Israel’s recent attack on Iran.
According to the Axios report, which cited two senior Israeli officials, President Donald Trump was “only pretending to oppose an Israeli attack in public” while privately giving Israel a U.S. green light to proceed.
The operation, known as “Operation Rising Lion,” targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities, ballistic missile infrastructure, and senior military and scientific personnel, including high-ranking Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders. It was described by officials as Israel’s most significant military action against Iran to date, with the aim of crippling Tehran’s nuclear program and military capabilities.
In the days leading up to the attack, Trump made multiple public statements urging restraint. “I don’t want [Israel] going in,” he told reporters, adding that an attack would “blow up” ongoing nuclear negotiations. He warned that an Israeli strike could jeopardize diplomatic talks scheduled for the weekend.
However, Israeli officials now claim these statements were part of a calculated strategy to deceive Iran and prevent Iranian personnel from fleeing to secure locations before the attack.
A Monday phone call between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, initially portrayed as an effort to restrain Israel, was actually about coordinating actions before the attack, according to the officials.
Netanyahu’s aides reportedly briefed journalists that Trump was trying to slow down the strike, a move that Israeli sources now describe as intentionally misleading. The officials assert that Trump was fully aware of and approved the operation, which had been planned for eight months, according to an Axios report.
After the attack began, Trump’s tone shifted. He admitted to the Wall Street Journal that he and his team had foreknowledge about Israel’s plans to attack Iran. The Times of India reported that Trump described the operation as “excellent,” and warned, “more [operations] would come.” On his Truth Social platform, Trump blamed Iran for the escalation, writing: “I gave Iran chance after chance to make a deal.”
Despite these revelations, the Trump administration publicly maintained its distance. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Israel acted unilaterally and denied any U.S. involvement.
The administration issued an official statement on Thursday night clarifying,“Tonight, Israel took unilateral action against Iran. We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region.”
“Israel advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its self-defense. President Trump and the Administration have taken all necessary steps to protect our forces and remain in close contact with our regional partners,” Rubio added. “Let me be clear: Iran should not target U.S. interests or personnel.”
Tensions between Iran and Israel have escalated in recent months, with rumors that the United States could potentially intervene to halt Iran’s nuclear program.
Headline USA previously covered details of the “SEED project,” a war plan that reportedly integrates military deception, strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites, and multilateral efforts with Israel and Gulf allies to cripple it militarily.
José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino
