Chicago – January 26, 2026
According to the New York Times and other outlets, Netanyahu directly asked Trump to delay any U.S. military strike on Iran, though official Israeli statements did not publicly detail his reasoning.
Concerns about Iranian retaliation
Analysts and some Israeli commentators suggest that Netanyahu may have pushed for postponement because Israel was worried about its own readiness for potential Iranian counterattacks if the U.S. struck Tehran. There were indications that at least part of the concern was an assessment that Israel’s defenses might be strained in a wider conflict.
It wasn’t just Israel: leaders from several Arab states (e.g., Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, and Egypt) urged the U.S. not to launch an attack, warning it could spark a broader regional war. That regional diplomatic pressure likely reinforced Netanyahu’s message.
