Scoop: U.S. tells allies it won't join war unless Iran targets Americans
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Trump at the G7. Photo: Stefan Rousseau/Pool/Getty Images
The Trump administration told several Middle Eastern allies on Sunday that it doesn't plan to get actively involved in the war between Israel and Iran unless Iran targets Americans, two sources from countries that received that U.S. message tell Axios.
The big picture: The U.S. has helped Israel intercept missiles, but made clear Israel is acting alone in attacking Iran. The U.S. message is that if Iran attacks Americans in response, it will be crossing a red line.
The intrigue: The U.S. sent a similar message to the same countries about an hour before Israel launched the war last Thursday, telling them the U.S. would not participate.
- In both cases, the U.S. seemed to expect the countries to pass that message to Iran to discourage any retaliation against U.S. forces or interests in the region.
- The White House didn't respond to a request for comment.
Between the lines: While Iranian leaders have accused the U.S. of complicity in Israel's war effort, and threatened for weeks to respond to any Israeli attack by targeting U.S. bases in the region, no such attacks have taken place.
- "The Iranians are very careful so far not to do anything that can push the U.S. to get involved," an Arab diplomat with direct knowledge of the thinking in Tehran said.
Friction point: Israel has asked the Trump administration to join the war in order to eliminate Iran's nuclear program. A U.S. official told Axios on Saturday that the Trump administration was not actively considering it.
- U.S. officials also claimed that over the weekend, Israel had an operational window to assassinate Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, but President Trump made clear to Israel that he opposed that step.
- A U.S. official said that was because the Iranians haven't killed Americans — a statement Israeli officials saw as a threat to Iran that if Americans are targeted, the Trump administration could support killing Khamenei.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told ABC News on Monday that killing Khamenei would "end the war," and was still a possibility.
State of play: Trump demurred Monday when asked whether the U.S. could join the war. But while the U.S. is stating in public and in private that it's not getting involved, the U.S. military is taking steps to prepare for such a contingency.
- The Nimitz aircraft carrier strike group is moving to the Middle East, and 28 strategic refueling planes left the U.S. on Sunday for the region.
- Netanyahu said in a press conference on Monday that he speaks to Trump almost every day, including on Sunday.
- He said he appreciates U.S. assistance in defeating Iranian attacks but stressed that President Trump will do what he thinks is best for America. "We will welcome any U.S. contribution," he said.
- In the ABC interview, Netanyahu said that Trump and the American people understand the need to "take a stand against evil." He said: "Look, I understand 'America First.' I don't understand 'America Dead.' That's what these people want."
What to watch: Trump said on Monday during a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at the G7 summit that the Iranians want to talk to the U.S. about the situation.
- "They should have done that before. They had 60 days and on the 61st day I said, 'We don't have a deal.' Iran is not winning this war they should talk immediately before it is too late," Trump said.
- An Arab diplomat said the Iranians have communicated to the U.S. that they will be willing to discuss a ceasefire and resume nuclear talks after they conclude their retaliation and after Israel stops its strikes.
- Israeli officials say they've received no indications Iran wants a ceasefire and stressed that Israel isn't interested in a ceasefire at the moment because it hasn't achieved the aims of destroying Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
