Foreign reports say Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked U.S. President Donald Trump to delay a potential strike on Iran after Israel was caught off guard by how quickly Washington appeared ready to move.

According to the reports, Israeli officials did not expect Trump to be attack-ready as early as last week, despite escalating rhetoric and the movement of U.S. naval and air assets into the region. The sudden shift placed Netanyahu in the unusual position of directly requesting a pause.

At the time, Israeli officials were aware that Iran’s regime had killed an estimated 2,000–3,000 protesters during the peak crackdown on January 8–9, alongside a surge in demonstrations reaching roughly one million participants. Still, they reportedly questioned whether the timing was right for a U.S. strike.

Concerns included Israel’s air defense readiness, U.S. willingness to help defend Israel from retaliation, and whether a strike would meaningfully advance regime collapse or prove counterproductive.

Foreign reports suggest the delay request stemmed largely from Israel being unprepared for the speed of developments — both in Iran and in Washington’s response.

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