Who convinced Trump to start a war with Iran?

U.S. President Donald Trump ordered large-scale strikes on Iran despite assessments by American intelligence agencies that Tehran is unlikely to pose a direct threat to the U.S. mainland over the next decade, The Washington Post reported, citing four sources familiar with the matter.

According to the sources, the decision followed weeks of lobbying by two key U.S. allies in the Middle East — Israel and Saudi Arabia.

The Washington Post writes that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman pressed Trump, warning that a failure by Washington to use military force would only embolden Iran and destabilize the entire region. The newspaper notes that Netanyahu openly campaigned in favor of a military solution to the Iranian issue, while Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman worked behind the scenes, frequently calling Trump before the outbreak of hostilities and urging him to act.

At the same time, according to the paper’s sources, the crown prince also contacted Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and assured him that the kingdom would not allow its airspace to be used for attacks against Iran.

News.Az