The president had sought to convince Israel to delay its military operation, but he shifted course after the strikes began.

After battling Iran’s allies across the region following Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack, Netanyahu has turned his attention to what he describes as the “head of the octopus,” with an unprecedented and open-ended military offensive against Iran and its nuclear program.

President Trump acknowledged on Thursday that there was a significant risk that Israel could soon attack Iran, but he said that “I don’t want them going in” while some progress was still possible on an agreement to shut down Iran’s easiest pathway to building a nuclear weapon.