US, Israel planned Iran operation after Netanyahu approved strike half a year before 12-day war

Prime minister said that after Iran’s proxies were defeated, it began plotting to use its “second option” – a nuclear weapon to destroy Israel.

By World Israel News Staff

The United States and Israel jointly planned a campaign of airstrikes against Iran beginning this February, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed the timing of his decision to strike Iran’s nuclear program.

On Tuesday, Israel’s Channel 14 published an interview with Netanyahu in which the Israeli premier laid out the reasoning for and timetable of his decision to launch the 12-day war against Iran this June.

Netanyahu revealed that he had resolved to strike Iran half a year before the operation began on June 13.

The decision was made based on the weakness of Iran’s proxies – which had long served to deter Israel from taking action against Iran directly – as well as reports that Iran had decided to pursue a nuclear weapon as the “next option” against Israel, replacing Iran’s allies as a tool for threatening Israel.

“By now, the [pro-Iran] axis is collapsing. Hamas had suffered blows in Gaza. Hezbollah had suffered blows in Lebanon, and Nasrallah was gone. The Assad regime had collapsed. The plan which they had put together to destroy Israel was shattered,” said Netanyahu.

“It wasn’t completely eliminated, but it was broken. So, what did the Iranians do? They went to their next option for the elimination of Israel, the nuclear [option].”

When asked when he notified the top security brass and his inner circle that he had decided to attack Iran, Netanyahu said: “Half a year before the operation.”

A day after the interview was released, The Washington Post reported that Israel and the US in February began working together to prepare for an air campaign against Iran’s nuclear program.

The joint effort was initiated after Netanyahu met with Trump in the White House on February 4; Netanyahu’s first visit to Washington since Trump returned to office in January.

According to the report, during their February meeting, Netanyahu presented Trump with four different options for air campaigns against Iran, with varying levels of US involvement, ranging from an entirely Israeli operation to a primarily American campaign.

One source cited in the report said that Trump wanted to prepare for an air campaign while still trying to engage Tehran and reach a diplomatic solution.

“The thinking was, if talks fail, we are ready to go,” the source said.

Ahead of the Israeli operation, both Israel and the US took steps to convince Iran that no attacks would be carried out in the immediate future.

A day before the campaign was launched, Trump said publicly he preferred a negotiated solution to military intervention, with another round of nuclear talks between US and Iranian officials planned for June 15 – just two days after the date selected for the beginning of Israel’s airstrikes.

One source told the Post that both Israel and the US manufactured false leaks to media outlets which claimed that tensions were rising between Netanyahu and Trump.

“All the reports that were written about Bibi not being on the same page with Witkoff or Trump were not true,” the source said.

“But it was good that this was the general perception; it helped to move on with the planning without many people noticing it.”