Obama says Netanyahu tried to push US into war with Iran

Instead of pursuing joint strikes with Israel, Obama said he prioritized diplomacy with Iran.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Former President Barack Obama said in an interview with The New Yorker that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attempted to pressure him to go to war with Iran, describing longstanding disagreements over how to address Tehran’s nuclear program.

Obama said Netanyahu urged military action using arguments similar to those later presented to Donald Trump.

“Maybe Netanyahu got what he wanted, but I doubt whether that’s what’s good for the citizens of Israel or the United States. There is extensive documentation of my disagreements with Netanyahu,” Obama said.

“I think my prognosis was accurate,” Obama said, adding that he questions whether military action was best for the American and Israeli people.

Instead of pursuing joint strikes with Israel, Obama said he prioritized diplomacy with Iran.

Those efforts led to the 2015 nuclear agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which imposed limits on Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.

Netanyahu strongly opposed the agreement, warning it would fail to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and would strengthen the country economically and militarily.

Trump later withdrew the United States from the deal in 2018, reimposing sanctions on Iran and aligning more closely with Netanyahu’s position.

On April 20, 2026, Trump denied that Israel pressured or persuaded him to launch a war against Iran.

Writing on Truth Social, he said the decision reflected his own policies and the October 7, 2023, attacks, as well as his longstanding view that Iran must never acquire nuclear weapons.

Trump also rejected reports that Netanyahu pushed the United States into a joint operation, calling such claims “fake news.”

Obama warned that shifting geopolitical conditions could carry long-term consequences for global stability. He cited strains within traditional alliances and said the international system established after World War II, anchored by institutions such as NATO, is facing increasing pressure.