Israel's ongoing operation targeting Iranian assets is expected to unfold over a period of "weeks, not days," a timeframe that has garnered implicit approval from the United States, according to both White House and Israeli officials quoted by CNN on Saturday.
Discussions between the two allied nations have revealed a clear understanding regarding the extended duration of the Israeli effort. An Israeli official, speaking to CNN, confirmed that the administration of US President Donald Trump has not voiced any critique regarding the weeks-long timeline in private conversations.
Further underscoring the deep coordination, a White House official stated that the administration is not only aware of Israel's strategic plans but is also implicitly supportive of them. The official indicated that the ultimate duration of the conflict would largely hinge on Iran's reactions and responses to Israel's actions.
Emphasizing the diplomatic pathway, the White House official stated, "The Trump administration firmly believes this can be solved by continuing negotiations with the US." The official further clarified the US stance on Israel's autonomy in defense matters, adding that the United States "was not going to direct Israel to do anything but defend itself."
Trump on Saturday posted that he believes the war between Israel and Iran "should end."
In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump wrote, "President Putin called this morning to very nicely wish me a Happy Birthday, but to more importantly, talk about Iran, a country he knows very well. We talked at length. Much less time was spent talking about Russia/Ukraine, but that will be for next week. He is doing the planned prisoner swaps - large numbers of prisoners are being exchanged, immediately, from both sides. The call lasted approximately 1 hour. He feels, as do I, this war in Israel-Iran should end, to which I explained, his war should also end."
On Friday, the President told Axios’ Barak Ravid that he believes Israel's massive strike on Iran likely improved the chances of a US-Iran nuclear agreement.
Asked whether Israel's strike jeopardized his nuclear diplomacy, Trump told Axios, "I don't think so. Maybe the opposite. Maybe now they will negotiate seriously."
"I gave Iran 60 days, today is day 61," Trump continued. "They should have made a deal."
He argued that after Israel's crippling strikes, Iran now has a stronger incentive to cut a deal. "I couldn't get them to a deal in 60 days. They were close, they should have done it. Maybe now it will happen," said Trump.