Former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has revealed that Israel repeatedly urged multiple U.S. administrations to launch military strikes against Iran, but no president agreed except Donald Trump.
In an interview on ‘The Briefing with Jen Psaki’ on Friday, Kerry said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had consistently pushed the United States toward military action against Iran.
“He wanted us to carry out a strike on Iran,” Kerry stated.
Kerry noted that he personally participated in several discussions where Netanyahu explicitly advocated for such action. According to him, Netanyahu presented the proposal directly to former President Barack Obama.
He added that neither Obama, nor Joe Biden, nor George W. Bush agreed to the proposal.
“The only president who agreed was Donald Trump,” Kerry claimed.
Kerry also referenced a recent report, saying Netanyahu had laid out a detailed “four-point plan” advocating military strikes. The plan reportedly argued that such action could weaken Iran’s leadership, create opportunities for regime change, and destroy its military capabilities.
He added that although officials at various levels participated in the discussions, there were significant disagreements over the proposal.
Recent Escalation and Ceasefire
According to a report by Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency, on February 28, the United States and Israel jointly launched an operation against Iran. The attack reportedly resulted in the deaths of several top political and military figures, including Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
In retaliation, Iran launched waves of drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and U.S. bases in the Gulf region. Tehran also restricted maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
Following 40 days of conflict, a two-week ceasefire agreement was reportedly reached on Wednesday through mediation by Pakistan, Turkey, China, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.
As part of the agreement, Washington and Tehran have agreed to begin talks on a permanent peace deal. A meeting is scheduled to take place in Islamabad on Saturday, April 11.
Source: An Interview on The Briefing with Jen Psaki
