How Trump Used Israel and Then Sent the Invoice

On 28 February 2026, the United States and Israel struck Iran together. For a few days, they looked inseparable. Netanyahu said the aim was to cripple the Islamic Republic’s military, destroy its nuclear and ballistic-missile programs and bring down the regime. Trump announced the death of Iran’s supreme leader in the opening barrage and urged Iranians to “take back” their country.

Then came the admission that mattered. Trump later acknowledged that he may have forced Israel’s hand. That single remark stripped away most of the theatre surrounding the operation. It had been sold as a joint war. It was never a partnership between equals.

The objectives started moving almost immediately. Stop an Iranian attack. Destroy the missile arsenal and the navy. End the nuclear program. Remove the regime. Each new objective dwarfed the one before it, and none came with a credible answer to the only question that mattered: what happens when Iran does not collapse? There was no closed exit. There was momentum, and both men mistook momentum for strategy.

Trump wanted a fast, dramatic victory he could sell at home. Netanyahu saw the opening he had waited years for — strike Iran with the United States beside him, perhaps topple the regime, then return to the Israeli public as the man who had finally answered 7 October. They entered the same war for different reasons. Trump needed strength on television and movement in the polls. Netanyahu needed to recover the image of protector. And, bluntly, to survive.

When the war stopped working for Trump

Iran did not fall. Its nuclear program remained unresolved. Hezbollah remained intact. The Strait of Hormuz stayed under threat, energy prices climbed and the cost began reaching ordinary Americans. Trump’s approval sank to roughly 35 per cent. Only a minority backed the conflict, and barely a quarter believed the gains were worth the price. With the November midterms approaching, the war had stopped looking like strength. It........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)