Trump decided to attack Iran due to pressure from two countries, WP says

US President Donald Trump decided to strike Iran after pressure from Israel and Saudi Arabia, which had publicly maintained the appearance of opposing military action, several sources have said.

Source: The Washington Post (WP), as reported by European Pravda

Details: The WP obtained information about behind-the-scenes negotiations.

The attack on Iran came after a week of lobbying by US allies in the Middle East, four people familiar with the matter said.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman repeatedly called Trump over the past month, urging the US to carry out the strike. However, in public he expressed support for a diplomatic solution.

The WP reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu supported the US military build-up in the Persian Gulf, as he views Iran as an existential enemy.

The joint efforts of the two leaders were said to have influenced Trump's decision to launch the strikes, which killed, among others, Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several other senior commanders and officials. Journalists, citing US intelligence, noted that the attack took place despite assessments that Iran's forces would not pose a threat to the US over the next decade.

Sources told the WP that while Saudi Arabia assured Iran it would not allow the US to use its airspace for the strike, the Saudi crown prince warned US officials of the risks of refraining from attacking Tehran.

Mohammed bin Salman's position was backed by his brother, Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman, who met US officials behind closed doors in Washington in January. At that meeting, he warned of the negative consequences of leaving Iran untouched.

Background:

• On the morning of 28 February, Trump announced that the US had launched a large-scale operation against Iran. Israel also carried out strikes.
• Iran responded with strikes on several Gulf countries where US facilities are located.

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