WSJ: Netanyahu persuaded Trump to back Israeli strikes on Iran

The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday details about conversations between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump, describing how Netanyahu persuaded his number one ally not to oppose an Israeli strike on Iran's missile and nuclear programs — and how the Trump later expressed his support for it once it began.

According to American officials cited in the report, Trump told Netanyahu during a call on Monday that he wanted to give diplomacy with Tehran a little more time. But it appeared that Trump had already begun losing faith in that strategy, a strategy that Netanyahu vehemently opposed from the beginning.

Netanyahu repeated a claim he has made publicly for years; that Iran would never agree to the type of deal Trump wanted, the sources told WSJ. He urged Trump to let Israel continue preparing for a strike and his message appeared to resonate.

In a follow-up call on Thursday, Netanyahu told Trump that the 60-day deadline Trump himself had set for Iran to reach a deal had just expired, adding that Israel could no longer wait and had to act to defend itself and enforce the deadline.

Trump responded that the United States would not stand in Israel's way, according to U.S. officials, though he made clear the U.S. military would not take part in any offensive action.

Israel carried out an unprecedented series of attacks against Iran in the early hours of Friday morning. Sending 200 fighter jets, Israel struck Iran's largest uranium enrichment plant, Natanz, as well as, according to the New York Times, at least six military bases around Tehran, including Parchin. The attack killed around 20 senior Iranian officials, at least six scientists, and more than 75 civilians.

Iran retaliated on Friday night and early Saturday, firing dozens of ballistic missiles, which killed three Israelis and wounded dozens.