Shortly after the United States launched precision airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear sites, US President Donald Trump held a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, signaling close coordination between the two allies amid rapidly escalating regional tensions.
According to Israeli state media and the TPS news agency, a White House official confirmed that the conversation between Trump and Netanyahu took place soon after the strikes concluded.
In the wake of the US offensive, Israel shut down its airspace, a move widely interpreted as a security precaution in anticipation of potential Iranian retaliation.
An ABC News report revealed that the US and Israel conducted joint drills nearly a year ago, rehearsing an offensive against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure—marking the first time both nations war-gamed such a scenario together.
In a Hebrew-language video statement, Netanyahu declared the destruction of Iran’s nuclear facilities as a fulfillment of his earlier pledge.
“At the beginning of the operation, I promised you that Iran’s nuclear facilities would be destroyed, one way or another. This promise was kept,” he said.
He further emphasized that the American strikes were carried out in “full coordination” with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), crediting the US for completing what Israel had initiated during its June 13 offensive, known as Operation Rising Lion.
CNN reported that Netanyahu chaired a five-hour security cabinet meeting on Saturday night, coinciding with the US operation. The meeting began at 10 p.m. local time and concluded after the strikes at approximately 3 a.m.
Present at the high-level briefing were:
- Defence Minister Israel Katz
- Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar
- IDF Chief of Staff
- Mossad Director
In a nationally televised address from the White House, Trump hailed the attack on Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan as a “spectacular military success,” claiming the nuclear sites were “completely and totally obliterated.”
“Our objective was the destruction of Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world’s number one state sponsor of terror,” Trump said.
While the strikes were carried out just two days after he offered a diplomatic window, Trump has since warned that further military action is on the table should Iran fail to pursue peace.
Earlier, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had warned that any US military involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict would bring “irreparable damage.”
With the US now directly engaged, and Israel on high alert, the region braces for potential escalation in what is shaping up to be the most dangerous flashpoint in recent Middle Eastern history.