Israel threatens showdown amid US hesitation

Israeli leaders on Saturday, June 21, 2025, have privately urged the Trump administration not to wait the full two‑week window President Trump set for considering U.S. involvement in a potential attack on Iran.

Instead, according to online media reports, they are warning that decisive action may be needed sooner, raising the possibility Israel could act unilaterally.

Two sources familiar with a high-stakes Thursday phone call between Israeli and U.S. officials described the exchange as tense.

Present on the Israeli side were Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and military chief Eyal Zamir.

They made clear their belief that swift action was necessary to strike Iran’s deeply buried nuclear facility in Fordow.

Fordow, tucked into a mountainside and hardened against conventional weapons, is considered Iran’s most secure nuclear site.

Israel knows only the United States possesses the powerful 30,000‑pound “bunker-buster” bomb capable of breaching its defenses, a weapon that can be deployed exclusively via U.S. B‑2 stealth bombers.

Reuters reported this weekend that several B‑2s are being repositioned to Guam in the Pacific, fueling speculation about possible U.S. participation.

Despite this, Israeli officials reportedly told U.S. counterparts that the two‑week waiting period outlined by President Trump during Thursday’s national address was too long.

The Israelis argue Iran might use that time to strengthen its defenses, making an attack more difficult and less effective.

Vice President J.D. Vance pushed back during the call, warning that sending American forces into the conflict, especially alongside Israel, could drag the United States into a broader war.

Participating in the call was Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, though it remains unclear who else from the U.S. side contributed.

The idea of a U.S. strike on Iran has divided Washington.

Some conservative allies, like Senator Lindsey Graham (R‑SC), are urging Trump to fully back an Israeli effort to dismantle Iran’s nuclear capabilities.

Others, especially those who warned against past U.S. military entanglements in Iraq and Afghanistan—including Vance—urge restraint and caution.

Trump’s own stance appears split.

During his 2016 campaign and presidency, he pledged to keep America out of “stupid” wars.

Yet his rhetoric in recent days has hardened against Iran, even as he entertains diplomats’ appeals to resolve nuclear tensions by other means.

In public, Netanyahu has not ruled out launching an Israeli strike on Fordow without U.S. help.

According to four unnamed sources, Israel is increasingly prepared to take unilateral action.

That belief stems from its sustained air superiority over Iranian skies and the perception that Iran’s window for defending Fordow may soon close.

One source suggested Israel could carry out a precision airstrike, special forces raid, or a combination of both, aiming for partial destruction.

The attack could target the facility’s interior, possibly using rapid successive munitions, or attempt to breach its defenses, as Israel did in its 2023 strike against a Hezbollah command center tied to Nasrallah.

Speculation suggests that Israeli commandos might be prepared to infiltrate the complex to destroy critical components from within.

However, the consensus outside military circles remains that without U.S. bunker-busters, fully neutralizing the site may be unfeasible.

Even a joint assault, analysts warn, might only delay Iran’s nuclear ambitions by a matter of months, not end them.

Iran continues to insist its nuclear efforts are peaceful.

Trump has not publicly committed to military involvement, nor has he disavowed it entirely.

The White House declined to comment on internal deliberations, and Israel’s Prime Minister’s office and Iran’s UN mission have yet to respond to requests for clarification.

If Israel strikes alone, it would mark a dramatic escalation in Middle East hostilities, with unpredictable geopolitical fallout.

But for Israeli officials, the threat posed by a nuclear-capable Iran is existential, and Fordow represents a key target.

As the clock ticks toward Trump’s two‑week deadline, U.S. officials are weighing whether to intervene directly, support remotely, or urge Israel to stand down.

Meanwhile, Israel is positioning itself to act swiftly, either with U.S. support or on its own.

If an attack on Fordow occurs, it could draw Washington into a wider regional conflict.

Expert analysts predict that even a successful strike would trigger swift Iranian retaliation, through missile launches, proxy attacks, and cyber warfare.

They believe these would challenge U.S. personnel, U.S.-aligned Gulf states, and the broader global order.

This standoff reveals not just a pivotal moment in U.S.–Israel relations but a defining crossroads for Middle Eastern security.

That decision, strike or wait, carries immense strategic and moral weight on both sides of the Atlantic.

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