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How Trump Took U.S. to War With Iran

Source: nytimes.com

TL;DR

President Trump decided to join Israel in attacking Iran after a February 11 Situation Room briefing from Netanyahu.
Netanyahu pitched regime change as achievable, showing a video of potential leaders like Reza Pahlavi; Trump replied, "Sounds good to me."[[1]](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/07/us/politics/trump-iran-war-takeaways.html)[[2]](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/07/us/politics/trump-iran-war.html)
Reporting reveals Trump's alignment with Netanyahu overcame limited internal opposition and skeptical U.S. intelligence assessments.[[2]](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/07/us/politics/trump-iran-war.html)

The story at a glance

The article details President Trump's decision-making process to launch a U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran, based on new reporting from a forthcoming book by Jonathan Swan and Maggie Haberman. Key figures include Trump, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Vice President Mike Pence, and top aides like Susie Wiles, Marco Rubio, Pete Hegseth, and Jared Kushner. It is being reported now amid an ongoing war now in its sixth week, with escalating U.S. threats over the Strait of Hormuz. The piece draws from White House Situation Room meetings starting February 11.[[2]](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/07/us/politics/trump-iran-war.html)[[1]](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/07/us/politics/trump-iran-war-takeaways.html)

Key points

On February 11, Netanyahu arrived secretly at the White House and gave an hourlong classified briefing in the Situation Room, arguing Iran was ripe for regime change via joint U.S.-Israeli strikes.[[2]](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/07/us/politics/trump-iran-war.html)
He claimed quick victory: Iran's missiles destroyed in weeks, Strait of Hormuz kept open, minimal retaliation, and Mossad stirring an uprising; showed a video montage of post-regime leaders including Reza Pahlavi.[[1]](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/07/us/politics/trump-iran-war-takeaways.html)
Trump responded approvingly to the pitch, saying "Sounds good to me," despite concerns from Vice President Pence and a pessimistic U.S. intelligence assessment.[[2]](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/07/us/politics/trump-iran-war.html)
U.S. intelligence dismissed Netanyahu's scenarios as "farcical" in a follow-up meeting the next day.[[1]](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/07/us/politics/trump-iran-war-takeaways.html)
A small inner circle, with little sustained opposition except from one member, met over two and a half weeks before the strikes began around late February.[[1]](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/07/us/politics/trump-iran-war-takeaways.html)
The reporting comes from over 1,000 interviews for the book Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump.[[2]](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/07/us/politics/trump-iran-war.html)

Details and context

The article focuses on secretive White House deliberations, unusual for including a foreign leader like Netanyahu in the Situation Room. It highlights Trump's instincts overriding warnings, with U.S. attendees including Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Secretary of State Marco Rubio (also national security adviser), Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Jared Kushner, and Steve Witkoff.[[2]](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/07/us/politics/trump-iran-war.html)

This path to war followed months of Netanyahu pressing Trump, amid a broader conflict that started with U.S.-Israeli strikes around February 28; the war has since disrupted oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz, spiked prices, and drawn partisan clashes in Congress.[[3]](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/02/opinion/trump-iran-war-speech.html)

European allies have stayed out, leaving the U.S. without key partners, while intelligence notes Iran's skepticism toward talks.[[4]](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/06/podcasts/the-daily/trump-iran-war-europe.html)

Key quotes

Trump to Netanyahu: "Sounds good to me."[[1]](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/07/us/politics/trump-iran-war-takeaways.html)
U.S. intelligence on Netanyahu's pitch: "farcical."[[1]](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/07/us/politics/trump-iran-war-takeaways.html)

Why it matters

The U.S. entry into war with Iran risks wider Middle East instability, oil shocks, and strained alliances. It means higher energy costs for Americans and businesses, potential escalation, and tests of Trump's leadership amid domestic divides. Watch Trump's April 7 deadline for Strait of Hormuz demands and Iran's response, though intelligence sees low odds of quick diplomacy.[[5]](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/trump-warns-a-whole-civilization-will-die-tonight-if-a-deal-with-iran-isnt-reached)