Israel Asks U.S. to Join Military Campaign Targeting Iran’s Nuclear Program: Axios

Israel has urged the United States to join its ongoing military campaign against Iran with the specific goal of eliminating Iran’s nuclear program, Axios reported on Saturday, citing two Israeli officials.

According to Axios, the request was made over the past 48 hours amid ongoing Israeli strikes inside Iranian territory. The appeal underscores concerns in Israel over its limited ability to target Iran’s deeply buried nuclear infrastructure, particularly the Fordow uranium enrichment site, which is fortified inside a mountain and located underground.

As noted by the Axios report, Israel lacks the necessary bunker-buster munitions and long-range bomber aircraft required to destroy the Fordow site. In contrast, the United States maintains such military capabilities within flying range of Iran.

Despite the appeal, the Trump administration has so far refrained from joining the Israeli operation. U.S. officials have argued that a retaliatory response from Iran against American targets would be illegitimate, Axios reported.

A direct U.S. strike on Iranian soil—even if limited to a single location—would represent a significant escalation and potentially pull the United States fully into the conflict.

Axios further noted that Israeli officials believe the success of their operation hinges on neutralizing Fordow. Without destroying the facility, Israel’s strategic objective of crippling Iran’s nuclear capabilities may remain unfulfilled.

Behind the scenes, an Israeli official told Axios that President Donald Trump may consider joining the operation and had hinted at such a possibility in a recent conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. However, this claim was denied by a White House official on Friday.

A second U.S. official confirmed to Axios that Israel has indeed asked the Trump administration for military involvement but stated that the administration is currently not considering the request.

In a separate comment to Axios on Saturday, a senior White House official remarked: “Whatever happens today cannot be prevented,” in reference to ongoing Israeli military actions. The same official emphasized the U.S. preference for a diplomatic solution, stating, “We have the ability to negotiate a successful peaceful resolution to this conflict if Iran is willing. The fastest way for Iran to accomplish peace is to give up its nuclear weapons program.”

Meanwhile, Israeli Ambassador to the U.S., Yechiel Leiter, told Fox News on Friday that the complete success of Israel’s military campaign relies on the destruction of Fordow. He echoed earlier Israeli sentiments about the necessity of U.S. participation to effectively disable the site.

Axios concluded that Israeli sources believe the U.S. is still considering the request and expressed hope that President Trump will agree to support the effort militarily.