White House fears Netanyahu’s nuclear post could trigger Iranian attack

Netanyahu published the image ahead of Israel’s elections on Tuesday, focusing on the nuclear threat from Iran.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

US officials feared an AI-generated image shared by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu showing Tel Aviv under Iranian nuclear attack could be interpreted by Tehran as a sign that Israel was preparing an imminent strike, N12 reported.

The White House was concerned that such an interpretation could prompt Iran to launch an attack, renewing and escalating hostilities, according to the outlet.

Netanyahu published the image ahead of Israel’s elections on Tuesday, focusing on the nuclear threat from Iran.

N12 said US President Donald Trump’s statement this afternoon that there would be no strike against Iran today may have been aimed at easing concerns among officials in Tehran.

In another social media post, Netanyahu shared a text by Yuval Blumberg presenting Iran’s nuclear program as an existential threat to Israel and arguing that confronting it should take priority over other political issues.

Blumberg said the remaining two years of Trump’s presidency provide Israel with a limited period in which to address the Iranian threat, pointing to uncertainty about who will follow Trump in office.

“This is the window of time we have left to complete the necessary work to ensure our physical existence for the coming years,” Blumberg wrote, arguing that the state should devote the necessary resources to the effort.

He described controversies surrounding Qatar, Haredim and conscription as “one giant smokescreen” diverting attention from Iran.

Blumberg further argued that dealing with the Iranian threat requires a prime minister capable of maintaining close communication with Trump and resisting political pressure.

“The hatred for Netanyahu, as all-consuming as it is for an entire camp, won’t help against the Iranian nuclear threat,” he wrote.

Blumberg warned that future generations would not forgive Israel for missing what he characterized as a historic opportunity to confront the threat.