Trump's ‘2 weeks' bluff: Inside the White House decision to secretly strike Iran
When President Donald Trump told the world on June 19 that he'd decide 'within the next two weeks' whether the US would enter the Israel-Iran conflict, few believed the clock would run out so quickly. Just 48 hours later, three of Iran's nuclear sites were bombed by US B-2 stealth bombers in a strike shrouded in secrecy, known only to a handful in Washington. As The Washington Post reports, Trump's now-signature 'two weeks' deadline may have been more strategic smokescreen than genuine hesitation.
According to The Washington Post, even as Trump offered the two-week timeline publicly, a strike plan — Operation Midnight Hammer — was already being finalised in the White House. 'Very few people in Washington knew the timing or nature of the plan,' said General Dan Caine, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff. Many officials only learned about it after Trump posted on Truth Social.
'Within the next two weeks.' That was Trump's public timeline. But behind the scenes, the decision had largely been made. According to a senior administration official quoted by The Post, the remark 'was our attempt to throw the Iranians off guard. But there was also some truth to it.'
The report by Post reveals that Trump directed military leaders to prepare the strikes even as he asked advisers daily how to keep the mission narrow and avoid a broader war. Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, called the mission 'highly classified,' adding that 'very few people in Washington' were aware of its timing or nature.
Although Trump said he remained open to a diplomatic solution, he became increasingly inclined toward military action. Talks with Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, facilitated by European officials on Friday , went nowhere.
'He knew there probably wouldn't be a breakthrough, which is why the Pentagon was putting together a plan,' said a senior official to The Washington Post. Another diplomat added, 'Friday's session was a genuine effort by Europeans for diplomacy, but no interest from Iran at all.'
Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, continued back-channel diplomacy throughout the week. But the lack of Iranian flexibility reportedly frustrated the White House.
Vice President JD Vance, an Iraq War veteran known for his skepticism about military entanglements, urged caution during internal discussions. He wanted to 'make sure all the tires were kicked.' Yet, as plans progressed, Vance supported the decision.
As Israeli strikes degraded Iran's air defenses, the window for a successful US operation widened. Retired Lt. Gen. Charlie 'Tuna' Moore told the Post: 'Israel had achieved air superiority over Iran,' making the US strike far more feasible.
A small team, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, DNI Tulsi Gabbard, and press secretary Karoline Leavitt, had been read in on the plan. Contrary to reports of discord, a senior official as per The Post described a sense of 'camaraderie' among the group.
The B-2 stealth bombers took off Saturday morning, while Trump was at his golf club in New Jersey and Vance was flying back from California. Neither their travel nor their appearances at fundraisers gave any indication of what was underway.
As the bombers entered Iranian airspace, Trump returned to the White House. By 7:50 pm, 20 minutes after the strike concluded, he posted the announcement on Truth Social.
In the Situation Room were top officials including Hegseth, Gabbard, Witkoff, Rubio, Gen. Caine, and others. Attorney General Pam Bondi joined the group later.
The strike targeted Iran's nuclear sites under Operation Midnight Hammer, marking a sharp shift in US strategy. Just days earlier, Washington had insisted Israel acted alone. But by Tuesday, Trump claimed that the US and Israel had 'complete and total control of the skies over Iran.'
According to The Post, while the operation was long in planning, officials said there was no clear moment when Trump decided definitively to go forward.
'It was based on a feeling,' said one senior official. Vance echoed this in a Meet the Press interview: 'I don't know that any of us knew exactly when the president made the decision except for the president himself.'
Trump had reviewed the plans on Tuesday and told aides he reserved the right to abort the mission until the final moment.
Throughout the week, White House aides consulted with key conservative voices — including Steve Bannon, Charlie Kirk, and Jack Posobiec — to ensure alignment with Trump's base. Though these figures were skeptical of involvement, they didn't change Trump's mind.
'He was listening to people across the ideological perspective,' said a senior official as reported by The Washington Post. 'Ultimately, the president felt this is a decision the base should support, because he's preventing a conflict that very well could have happened if the supreme leader instructed Iran to create the nuclear weapon.'
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