Why Netanyahu Thanked Donald Trump in English After US Bombed Iran's Nuclear Facilities?

New Delhi: On Sunday morning, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the nation not in Hebrew but in English. The unusual choice was not accidental. His message was meant for more than just Israelis.

Netanyahu was delivering an update on the latest developments in the conflict between Israel and Iran. And during that address, he praised U.S. President Donald Trump for authorising the bombing of Iranian nuclear sites.

There was a noticeable sense of triumph in Netanyahu’s voice. A faint smile lingered on his face. And perhaps it was fitting. He has spent much of his political life warning the world that Iran poses an existential threat to Israel. For over 15 years, he has lobbied U.S. presidents, diplomats and defense chiefs to consider military action as the only real answer to Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

Now, he stood before cameras as American B-2 bombers struck Iranian facilities. And he called Trump’s decision “historic” and “bold”. He may as well have congratulated himself.

After all, Netanyahu had managed to shift the stance of Trump, who had long campaigned against foreign military entanglements and whose conservative voter base had shown little enthusiasm for any war involving Israel.

This moment did not arrive without internal resistance. U.S. intelligence agencies had long questioned Israel’s claim that Iran was racing toward a nuclear bomb. They had not seen concrete evidence that Tehran had made that decision.

And yet, despite these doubts, American warplanes were now targeting Iranian facilities.

From the beginning of this conflict, now entering its second week, Israeli officials repeatedly insisted that they could handle Iran alone. But behind closed doors, it was clear that only American weaponry could breach the kind of hardened underground bunkers where Iran had placed its key nuclear assets. Especially in Fordow, the site buried deep within a mountain.

If the sites bombed on June 22 morning are truly out of commission, Netanyahu will feel he has reached a turning point. For him, this may be the closest moment yet to declaring victory in a long battle.

However, Iran claims it had already removed its nuclear material from the sites before the strikes. That claim will be hard to verify anytime soon.

Without U.S. involvement, Israel would have continued chipping away at targets across Iran, its military leaders, nuclear scientists, infrastructure and enrichment sites. But there was never going to be a moment of closure. Unless, perhaps, regime change happened in Tehran.

‘America Will Hit Back With Full Force’

The B-2 jets may have changed the shape of this conflict. But whether this becomes an ending or a deeper escalation now depends on Iran and its allies.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had warned last week that any U.S. involvement would trigger retaliation. “Americans must understand that any interference by their forces will lead to irreparable damage,” he said.

His words may soon be tested.

On June 21, Yemen’s Houthi rebels, staunch allies of Tehran, threatened to attack U.S. vessels in the Red Sea if Washington escalated its role in the war. With that, U.S. troops, embassies and civilians across the Middle East could all become potential targets.

Iran has a variety of options. It could strike U.S. bases in the Gulf. It could disrupt oil shipping routes – spiking global fuel prices. Or it could activate proxy groups across Syria, Lebanon, Iraq or beyond.

The United States, for now, says its military operation is over. There is no appetite in Washington for toppling the Iranian government. That message could be a quiet invitation for Iran to keep its response limited.

Tehran might choose symbolic retaliation – strikes that send a message without triggering a full-scale war. That is how Iran responded back in 2020, when Trump ordered the killing of General Qassem Soleimani. Iran launched a barrage of missiles at U.S. bases, but casualties were minimal.

Still, on June 21 night, Trump issued a fresh warning, saying any retaliation from Iran would be met with overwhelming force.

And now, on June 22 morning, the Middle East holds its breath – wondering whether this was the beginning of a resolution, or just the calm before a more devastating storm.