MOSCOW, June 24. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump’s decision to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities demonstrates that he fell for Israel’s trap, Arms Control Association Executive Director Daryl Kimball told TASS.
"We need to be clear-eyed about how Trump decided, suddenly, to abandon the pursuit of his stated preference for a diplomatic solution. As the U.S.-Iran talks were about to resume in Oman on June 15, Trump spoke with [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu who reportedly informed him that Israel would launch strikes at Iranian nuclear sites and other targets whether the White House approved or not. Trump failed to say "no" to Netanyahu as previous presidents have done," the expert noted.
Kimball pointed out that after Israel started its attack on June 13, Trump shifted his approach, attempting to use them as leverage to pressure Iran into making concessions at the negotiating table. According to Kimball, Netanyahu understood that Iran would not negotiate while strikes continue. He also convinced Trump that Israel needed the US as its "subcontractor" to attack Fordow, a nuclear site Israel did not possess the technical capabilities of damaging on its own.
In addition, Kimball noted that Trump misled everyone by saying that he would make a decision regarding strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities "within 'two weeks,' which suggests he was not serious, and was certainly not patient enough, about negotiating a practical, durable, verifiable agreement with Iran."
"In other words, Netanyahu's decision to attack Iran was clearly designed to sabotage the U.S.-Iranian negotiations, which had seemed to be advancing toward an agreement to curb Iran's nuclear weapons potential, and Trump fell for the Israeli ploy," the expert concluded.
Israel launched a military operation against Iran on the night of June 13. Less than 24 hours later, the Islamic Republic carried out a retaliatory strike. The exchange of attacks has continued. Both sides reported casualties and losses as a result of these attacks and admitted that some targets were hit.
The United States joined the armed conflict nine days after its escalation: in the early hours on June 22, American bombers attacked three Iranian nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.