Washington, March 1 – US President Donald Trump’s decision to launch sweeping military strikes on Iran followed weeks of diplomacy, intelligence briefings, and pressure from regional allies, according to detailed accounts by major US media outlets.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Israeli and US intelligence agencies had “long watched and waited for a rare opportunity” when senior Iranian political and military leaders were gathered in one place. Intelligence officers had identified “not just one meeting but three” and had a firm understanding of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Iran’s top decision-maker.
The situation was considered so unusual that “US and Israeli warplanes struck in full daylight”.
The Washington Post reported that Trump’s move came “despite US intelligence assessments that an immediate threat to the US mainland” was not evident. Nevertheless, regional allies argued that now was the time to act. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had made “multiple calls” advocating a US attack, the newspaper said.
In the days leading up to the strikes, Trump’s rhetoric sharpened. “I’ve got a lot of things going on now,” he told supporters in Texas. “We have a big decision to make, you know that. It’s not easy, it’s not easy. We have a very big decision to make”.
Behind the scenes, his administration pursued what Politico described as a “dual-track strategy” — sending envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to negotiate while building up US military power in the region.
By the end of the week, Trump made “the final decision to pursue military action” after concluding that Iran would not commit to forgoing nuclear weapons, according to three senior administration officials.
A senior administration official told the Post that talks had failed because Tehran’s intent was “to preserve their ability to do enrichment so that, over time, they could use it for a nuclear bomb”.
Politico reported that Trump had insisted Iran must “publicly and unequivocally commit to forgoing nuclear weapons”. When this did not happen, the diplomatic window narrowed.
The Journal said Trump ordered “the largest buildup of American firepower in the Middle East in two decades,” dispatching carriers, destroyers, and advanced aircraft to bases around Iran.
Vice President JD Vance monitored the operation from the White House Situation Room, the Post reported, while Trump oversaw developments from Mar-a-Lago.
Democratic lawmakers questioned the urgency. “What was the imminent threat to America?” asked Sen. Mark R. Warner. “I don’t know the answer”.
Trump, however, framed the strikes as long overdue. “We’ve been playing with them for 47 years,” he said. “They’ve been blowing the legs off our people, blowing their face off our people, the arms. They’ve been knocking out ships one by one. And every month, there’s something else, so … you can’t put up with it too long”.
The strikes marked the most expansive US military confrontation with Tehran in years. They also reflected a calculation that air power, coupled with regional coordination, could shift the strategic balance without committing American ground forces.
The United States and Iran have been locked in hostility since the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the subsequent hostage crisis at the US Embassy in Tehran. Tensions have repeatedly spiked over Iran’s nuclear programme, regional proxy conflicts, and attacks on US forces in the Middle East.
