Israel and Saudi Arabia Pressured Trump Before Operation Epic Fury, Reports Say

Weeks before the launch of Operation Epic Fury against Iran, both Israel and Saudi Arabia reportedly pressured U.S. President Donald Trump to take military action, according to a report by The Washington Post.

The report claims that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly advocated for a strike on Iran. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s role was more nuanced. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reportedly spoke personally with Trump multiple times over the past month, expressing support for a strike in private, even though he publicly promoted a diplomatic resolution.

At the same time, Riyadh stated that Saudi territory would not be used in any attack against Iran. However, the report notes that Prince Mohammed warned U.S. officials that inaction could allow Iran to grow stronger and more dangerous.

On Saturday, President Trump explained two main reasons for initiating Operation Epic Fury. First, the U.S.-Iran nuclear talks in Geneva had collapsed. Second, Iran had begun rebuilding nuclear facilities damaged in prior attacks.

Trump claimed that the Iranians often “advance and then retreat,” suggesting that they are not genuinely seeking agreements.

He also noted that over the past 25 years, he had instructed aides to compile a list of Iran-related attacks worldwide, and found that the country was involved in violent incidents almost every month.