Israel seeks Trump's authorization to resume strikes on Iran

Israeli officials are seeking President Donald Trump’s approval to resume strikes on Iran, according to a report cited in a July 9 social-media post that said the issue came up during an intelligence briefing for the president and senior U.S. officials. No U.S. or Israeli government statement released publicly on Thursday confirmed the request. The report surfaced as fighting tied to the 2026 Iran war has again raised questions over whether the June ceasefire framework is holding. June 17 was the date Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a memorandum of understanding meant to end the war and start a 60-day negotiation process, according to Times of Israel reporting. That report said the first clause committed the sides and “their allies” to an immediate and permanent end to fighting, while Israeli officials were not parties to the negotiations and had expressed concern over the terms. (globalsecurity.org) ### What exactly is being claimed on July 9? A July 9 post by HormuzLetter said Israeli officials were seeking Trump’s authorization to restart attacks on Iran and that the matter was raised in an intelligence briefing involving the president and senior U.S. officials. The post also referred to strikes on Iran and to drones and missile launches in the region, but it did not provide documentary evidence in the post itself. (timesofisrael.com) Reuters could not independently verify from publicly available U.S. or Israeli statements on Thursday that such authorization had been requested. Search results reviewed for this report did not show a same-day White House readout or Israeli government statement confirming the claim. ### Why would Israel need Trump’s approval at this stage? June 7 is one recent example of Trump directly trying to restrain Israeli military action. (hormuzstraitmonitor.com) Axios reported that Trump told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to retaliate against an Iranian missile attack and to allow more time for diplomacy. May 20 offered another indication of Trump’s role. (axios.com) Times of Israel reported that Trump said Netanyahu would do “whatever I want” regarding a potential strike on Iran, a remark that underscored how closely Israeli military decisions had become tied to U.S. backing during the conflict. (axios.com) ### What is the recent backdrop to this report? May 1 reporting by Times of Israel said Trump was briefed at the White House on military options by U.S. Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper as Israel prepared for a possible return to fighting with Iran. That report also cited a Reuters account saying Trump would be updated on plans for fresh military strikes intended to compel Iran to negotiate an end to the conflict. (timesofisrael.com) July 8 brought another escalation. GlobalSecurity, which tracks the conflict day by day, said U.S. strikes had hit more than 80 targets after attacks tied to the Strait of Hormuz crisis, while CBS and Sky News reported renewed exchanges of fire and Iranian strikes on U.S. positions in the region. Those reports indicate the ceasefire environment had already frayed before Thursday’s social-media claim. (timesofisrael.com) ### How does this fit with the June ceasefire deal? June 18 reporting on the signed U.S.-Iran agreement said Israel was not a signatory and that Netanyahu had publicly distanced himself from Trump’s decision. Times of Israel said Israeli officials privately regarded the terms as limiting military leverage over Iran, even as Trump said he would “go back to dropping bombs” if Iran breached the accord. (globalsecurity.org) June 12 and June 15 reporting by Axios and Times of Israel also described friction between Trump’s diplomacy and Netanyahu’s position, with U.S. officials pressing for a deal and Israeli officials worried about unresolved war aims related to Iran’s nuclear and missile programs. ### What should readers watch next? July 9 statements from the White House, Pentagon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office and Israel’s military would be the first official places to confirm or deny whether any request for authorization was made. (timesofisrael.com) The 60-day negotiation track launched by the June 17 memorandum is also a concrete timeline to watch if the ceasefire framework remains formally in place. (axios.com)