Israel urges U.S. to delay possible military action against Iran

Israel urges U.S. to delay possible military action against Iran
U.S. President Donald Trump points his finger towards Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as they shake hands in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., 29 December 2025.
Reuters

Israel and Arab States have urged the U.S. to delay any potential military action against Iran, warning that such a move could undermine ongoing protests inside the country, according to NBC News.

The U.S. broadcaster reported that Israeli officials conveyed their concerns to President Donald Trump’s administration, saying that the U.S. should wait until the Iranian regime is “even more strained”.

According to NBC News, Israel told the White House it supports regime change in Iran and backs U.S. efforts aimed at facilitating it. However, Israeli officials reportedly believe that military action by Washington could shift focus away from domestic discontent and instead allow Iranian authorities to frame unrest as the result of foreign aggression.

Israeli officials were said to have argued that protests inside Iran have created a rare opportunity for internal pressure to build without direct foreign involvement.

Israel has suggested alternative approaches to increase pressure on Tehran. NBC News said these included improving internet access to help protesters communicate and organise, and also tightening economic sanctions.

President Trump has said he has not yet decided what course of action the U.S. will take. He said the White House was still weighing its options and had not made a final decision on whether to pursue military measures against Iran.

Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Tuesday, Trump said Iran was "on my mind" and that he expected an update on the situation soon.

“When I see the kind of death that is happening over there. We think. So, we're going to get some accurate numbers. I'll have them in about 20 minutes, we'll get some accurate numbers as to what's happening with regard to the killing. The killing looks like it's significant, but we don't know yet for certain. I'll know within 20 minutes, so… And we’ll act accordingly.”

Trump said that helping Iranian protesters involved economic actions, among other steps. He added that he would cancel all meetings with Iranian officials until bloodshed during the protests comes to an end.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told Al Jazeera on Monday that he had continued to communicate with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff during the protests and Tehran was studying ideas proposed by Washington.

However, direct communications between Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and Witkoff have been suspended, a senior official told Reuters on Wednesday, after President Donald Trump's threats to intervene amid nationwide protests in Iran.

The senior official added that U.S. threats undermine diplomatic efforts and that potential meetings between the two officials to find a diplomatic solution to a decades-long nuclear dispute have been cancelled.

More than 2,571 people have now been killed during the violent crackdown by security forces on protests in Iran, a human rights group has said.

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