The Nov. 17 New York Times report that US President Donald Trump considered an attack on Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility prior to his departure from the White House likely did not surprise Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Benny Gantz or any other top Israeli defense or political figure. Trump is made of different stuff than his predecessor Barack Obama, and Israel enjoys almost total access to his plans and some of his thinking.
Trump has flirted with a military option vis-a-vis Iran throughout his term. Despite his aversion to military involvement and adventurism abroad, the option was always on the table. His approval for the January 2020 assassination of commander Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad gave rise to assessments in Western and Israeli intelligence circles that Trump is highly unpredictable, especially in changing circumstances.
