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Although U.S. forces are not participating in the assault, American officials were reportedly informed in advance. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that the United States was “in full coordination” with Israel before the operation was launched.
Rubio stated, “President Trump and the administration have taken all necessary steps to protect our forces and remain in close contact with our regional partners. Let me be clear: Iran should not target US interests or personnel.”
While Israel intensifies its attacks, the political pressure is mounting in Washington. Former President Donald Trump issued a public statement following a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to Trump, the two leaders spoke for about an hour, with much of the conversation focused on the growing Israel-Iran conflict.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote:
“President Putin called this morning to very nicely wish me a Happy Birthday, but to more importantly, talk about Iran, a country he knows very well. We talked at length. Much less time was spent talking about Russia/Ukraine, but that will be for next week. He is doing the planned prisoner swaps – large numbers of prisoners are being exchanged, immediately, from both sides. The call lasted approximately 1 hour. He feels, as do I, this war in Israel-Iran should end, to which I explained, his war should also end.”
Trump’s call for de-escalation could strike a nerve within his base—especially among those who remember his consistent pledge of “no new wars”. And while Trump himself remains largely supportive of Israel, many younger Republicans appear to be shifting away from that stance.
Recent data from Pew Research paints a clear picture of this changing sentiment. Among Republicans under 50 years old, support for Israel is declining sharply. Pew notes:
“Among Republicans, much of the shift in attitudes has come among younger adults. Republicans under 50 are now about as likely to have a negative view of Israel as a positive one (50% vs. 48%). In 2022, they were much more likely to see Israel positively than negatively (63% vs. 35%).”
This dip in Republican enthusiasm for Israeli foreign policy presents a political dilemma for any U.S. leader considering deeper involvement in the conflict. With growing populist sentiments and war-weariness among voters, any decision to go beyond mere “coordination” could be met with fierce backlash.
To complicate matters further, what was supposed to be the sixth round of nuclear talks between the U.S. and Iran—scheduled for Sunday in Oman—has been cancelled. This abrupt cancellation underscores the rapidly deteriorating diplomatic situation, and leaves the door wide open for more escalation.
Israel’s aggressive push is more than just an anti-nuclear campaign—it’s a test of American resolve, political unity, and strategic patience. The next move, for better or worse, may come from Washington.
