John Kerry reveals Netanyahu repeatedly pushed US presidents to strike Iran, a proposal rejected for years—until Trump agreed.
Key Takeaways
- Kerry says Netanyahu lobbied multiple US presidents for Iran strikes “for decades.”
- Bush, Obama, and Biden all rejected the proposal, according to Kerry.
- Trump was “the only president” who agreed to the plan.
A Direct Admission
Former US Secretary of State John Kerry has revealed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeatedly pressed successive US administrations to launch military strikes on Iran—an effort that, according to Kerry, spanned decades.
Speaking in an interview on The Briefing with Jen Psaki, Kerry underscored that his account was based on direct involvement, stating that he had “participated in multiple discussions” with Netanyahu.
“I was part of any number of conversations with Netanyahu,” Kerry said.
When asked whether those discussions included lobbying for a US strike on Iran, he responded:
“Yes, he wanted us to strike.”
Kerry outlined a consistent pattern across successive presidencies, stating that Netanyahu personally presented the case for military action to US leaders on multiple occasions.
“He came to President Obama,” Kerry said.
“President Obama refused. President Biden refused. President Bush refused.”
The sequence, as described by Kerry, indicates that despite close political and military alignment between Washington and Tel Aviv, multiple US administrations declined to initiate direct military action against Iran.
In what marks the most consequential element of the revelation, Kerry said that only one US president ultimately accepted Netanyahu’s argument.
“The only president who has agreed to this… is President Trump.”
A Structured Case for War
Kerry also pointed to reporting that detailed how Netanyahu presented a structured argument for military action in meetings with US officials.
According to Kerry, the Israeli leader argued that a strike could kill the leadership, incite regime change, and destroy the military.
He added that reporting on these discussions, including accounts published by The New York Times, “seemed like good reporting,” indicating that it reflected exchanges he had personally witnessed.
Importantly, Kerry suggested that these proposals were not made informally, but were presented in meetings involving senior US officials, where different views were considered and debated before decisions were reached.
Institutional Deliberations
The description of these meetings points to a more complex internal process within the US government, where proposals for military escalation were weighed against competing strategic considerations.
Kerry’s account indicates that, while Israel’s position was clearly and repeatedly communicated at high levels, US policymakers engaged in internal deliberations that ultimately led to the rejection of direct strikes under multiple administrations.
This dynamic underscores that the question of military action against Iran was not marginal, but a recurring issue within US foreign policy discussions.
Kerry’s remarks suggest that Israeli efforts to push the United States toward direct confrontation with Iran were not episodic, but part of a sustained strategy pursued across multiple administrations.
That pattern, according to Kerry, ultimately broke under Trump.
Kerry’s comments come as US and Iranian officials engage in negotiations following weeks of war and a fragile ceasefire.
Reflecting on the current diplomatic track, Kerry warned that the path forward would be significantly more difficult in light of recent developments.
“That negotiation is going to be much tougher now, believe me,” he said.
“It was tough when we began it… now there’s been this massive bombing and destruction.”
He added that the scale of the conflict and its impact on Iranian society and leadership would make any diplomatic breakthrough harder to achieve.
Former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry:
"No American president approved Netanyahu's plan to attack Iran except for Trump."
Netanyahu presented a plan to strike Iran during the Obama administration, but Obama rejected it. pic.twitter.com/00ytL47z4m
— The Resonance (@Partisan_12) April 10, 2026
(The New Arab, Anadolu, PC)
Oh ok, so suddenly John suck-up Kerry comes out to throw Dondolf Twitler under the bus?? nawww that’s not at all suspicious.
We should remember that it was Kerry who tried to purchase enriched Uranium from Argentina. President Cristina Fernandes told him to get f#cked. Obama sent him there to purchase it for Iran. Obviously then they could claim Iran had nukes, and wipe them from existence. Kerry is shady as f#ck! and he was a member of Skull and Bones at Yale. Why is he suddenly in the spotlight? Same with Obama. why now?