President Donald Trump personally intervened Monday to stop Israel from carrying out a significantly larger military operation against Iran after warning Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu further escalation could leave Israel confronting Tehran without American backing, multiple U.S. and Israeli media report. The intervention came as Israel and Iran exchanged their most serious round of fire since the ceasefire reached in early April, threatening to derail negotiations that Trump and senior administration officials insist are nearing a breakthrough.
According to Axios, the New York Times, and multiple Israeli media reports, Netanyahu had approved a substantially broader follow-on operation targeting strategic sites across Iran before Trump stepped in Monday. Reports indicated dozens of aircraft were being prepared for the mission, which was ultimately called off after a series of conversations between Washington and Jerusalem.
