Prime Minister Netanyahu stated that he did not request U.S. President Trump's authorization for Operation Rising Lion, but rather informed him of the decision. The remark, reported by a single Israeli the source, adds to ongoing debate over Israel-U.S. coordination on the June 2025 military campaign.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated Wednesday afternoon that he did not ask U.S. President Donald Trump for permission before launching Operation Rising Lion (מבצע עם כלביא), the twelve-day military campaign against Iran conducted June 13–24, 2025. According to a post on the source of journalist Chaim Cohen, Netanyahu said: 'I did not ask the US president for permission on Operation Rising Lion — I informed him.' The remark addresses a recurring point of contention in Israeli political and security discourse: whether Israel sought or received Washington's green light for the operation. The Zioneer has previously reported on the fraught U.S.-Israel coordination dynamic surrounding the campaign. In a series of earlier bulletins, the Desk covered Trump's statements that the Israeli strike in Beirut was not coordinated with the U.S., his reported plan to call Netanyahu to urge restraint, and the president's subsequent denial that he asked Netanyahu to hold back — saying instead he urged him to 'do what's right' but stop soon. A senior intelligence source was also cited as saying Netanyahu's post-operation claims were more misleading than his remarks after Operation Rising Lion. This latest statement emerges from a single, unverified Telegram source and remains unconfirmed by official channels. No further details, including the context or audience of the remark, have been released.
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- DevelopingTrump denies asking Netanyahu to hold back, says he told him to 'do what's right' but stop soon
Source and signal
- Internal intake