Source: The American Prospect
by Robert Kuttner
“Once again, Benjamin Netanyahu has manipulated a U.S. president into not just accepting his military decisions, but following his lead. When it came to Israel’s brutal annihilation of Gaza, Joe Biden went along passively. But Israeli attacks and assassinations in Iran produced in Trump nothing so much as envy. Trump signed on with relish. And just as Israel’s bombing of nuclear sites in Iran proved a distraction from Bibi’s political woes and raised his popularity, American military action might do the same for Trump. It’s now clear that Trump and Netanyahu, despite deceptions signaling a U.S. preference for diplomacy, were in cahoots all along. The first deception was a planned negotiating session between the Iranians and Trump special envoy Steve Witkoff, scheduled for Sunday, June 15. The Iranians reasonably assumed that, with negotiations pending, no Israeli attack was imminent. Netanyahu then launched his attack early Friday.” (06/23/25)
https://prospect.org/blogs-and-newsletters/tap/2025-06-23-what-if-trumps-iran-gamble-pays-off/