Netanyahu Waits For USA to Enter The War 

Everyone one is waiting for US president Donald Trump to make up his mind to enter the war against Iran on the side of the Israelis.

Analysts suggest clearly Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is playing a great pressuring role to force the USA to enter the war, and especially to destroy its nuclear infrastructure and ballistic missiles. But for Trump, this is easier said than done for the president, seen as one of the most pro-Israelis in America’s modern history who is still in deep doubt and contemplation.

This is aside from the fact that Trump is generally known for shying away from wars because it disrupts his economic vision of “making America great again”.

And today, he is backed by global pollsters which are suggesting that 60 percent of Americans oppose sending US troops to take part in a war to fight the Iranian government. For Americans, the Iraqi experience of removing Saddam Hussein from power and seeking to rule the country was a devastating experience that dominated most of the first decade of the millennium.

Trump and his team at the White House are watching the war unfold between Iran and Israel very carefully but it doesn’t mean he will enter the war despite the conflicting vibes coming from Washington. Trump wants to keep the diplomatic door open on Iran. Yet he has clear objectives. He wants Iran to unconditionally “surrender” its nuclear weapons. For this is a principled stand, with him arguing that Iran must not be allowed enrichment and prohibited from obtaining nuclear weapons. 

But this is clearly not acceptable to the Iranians who say enrichment is a sovereign decision which they will not break away from regardless of what Trump does by way of arms-twisting them to steer away from their nuclear programs long deemed for useful uses which Trump refuses to believe in. 

Deadlock may be! But Trump has also said he wouldn’t commit the American army to fighting Iran simply because Israel is doing the trick of fighting Iran under the pretext of wanting to destroy its nuclear weapons and different missiles including its ballistic missiles. Israeli warplanes, in a disconcerting fashion have dominated the Iran skyline since it started its war on Iran.

But this is also easier said than done for Israel – especially its central areas including Tel Aviv – has also been getting a hammering in the first six days of the war that started on 13 June 2025 with destruction of infrastructure and debris of buildings much the same witnessed in Gaza created by the Israeli war machine since 7th October 2023. 

Rather than just Israel Trump may have other considerations. It is not that simple to commit Washington to what tantamount to a global war where other global nuclear powers are likely to take part in. Countries like Russia, China, Pakistan and even North Korea are not likely to standby and let America have a free-hand in possibly crushing Iran. For that would upset the global political relations and today these powers are watching the coming moves very carefully.

That’s is why Trump is taking a long time to make a decision on entering the war on Iran to the dismay of Netanyahu and his extremist government who feel that if they are to win the war, America must help but Washington has other global considerations including the sneaking suspicion of not allowing Israel to become top dog in the Middle East whilst at the same time seeking to clip its wings for their special interests.

Dr Asmar is a commentator based in Amman