Trump Said He Could "Abort" Anytime: Inside Details Of Op Midnight Hammer

On June 19, the White House said US President Donald Trump will make a decision on the US joining the Israel-Iran conflict within two weeks. Two days later, the US' B-2 Bombers struck three nuclear facilities in Iran. Addressing the media, Trump called Iran the "bully of the Middle East" and warned that if Iran does not "make peace", the attacks that follow will be "far greater and a lot easier".

According to a report in The Washington Post, even as Trump issued the two-week deadline, a strike plan was in the works at the White House, but very few people knew of it.

Addressing the media after the airstrikes, General Dan Caine, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Operation Midnight Hammer was highly classified, "with very few people in Washington knowing the timing or nature of the plan". Many senior officials in Washington learnt of the strikes only after Trump posted on Truth Social.

Was Trump Bluffing?

A senior official told The Washington Post that Trump's two-week remark "was our attempt to throw the Iranians off guard". "But there was also some truth to it," added the official, detailing how Trump flooded officials with questions on how they planned to keep the operation surgical to prevent a serious escalation to the conflict. Trump, it is learnt, also stressed that he could abort the plan at any moment, up until the US aircraft reached Iranian airspace.

The US targeted Iran's three nuclear sites under Operation Midnight Hammer

From Diplomacy To Attack Mode

According to US officials, Trump had repeatedly pushed for a diplomatic solution to the conflict, but tilted towards military action as he felt Iran was unwilling to make adequate concessions during talks. On Friday, Iran's Foreign Affairs Minister Abbas Araghchi met European officials. "He (Trump) knew there probably wouldn't be a breakthrough, which is why the Pentagon was putting together a plan" through the week, an official said. Friday's meeting "was a genuine effort by Europeans for diplomacy, but no interest from Iran at all", a senior diplomat involved in the meeting said.

JD Vance's Word Of Caution

Two top officials have told The Washington Post that several key government officials, including Vice President and Iraq War veteran JD Vance, advised caution during the talks on military action and gave suggestions on how the US must proceed. Vance, known to be sceptical about the US entering wars, wanted to "make sure all the tires were kicked" and risks to US forces were minimised. As Trump made up his mind about the strikes, Vance and the others supported him, White House officials said. The officials also referred to a "camaraderie" within the small team that knew what was coming and trashed reports of internal discord.

US President Trump and Vice President Vance monitored the operation in Situation Room

The Day Of Attack

After the stealth bombers took off on Saturday morning, the President and the Vice-President went on with the scheduled engagements. Trump went to his gold club in New Jersey, and Vance was on a flight returning from California. Their presence at fundraisers on opposite coasts dropped no hints for observers about what was in the works. As the bombers entered the Iranian airspace, Trump reached the White House. The airstrikes followed. Twenty minutes after the bombers had exited the Iranian airspace, Trump announced the strikes on Truth Social. According to US officials, Trump and Vance were in the Situation Room during the operation. Accompanying them were US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, among others.

How US Tweaked Stand On Israel Strikes

Just nine days before Operation Midnight Hammer, Rubio said Israel's action against Iran was "unilateral" and the US is "not involved". Washington seemed to be making it clear that Tel Aviv is acting alone. That changed in the coming days. On Monday, Trump warned Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, that he could easily be killed. The next day, he started referring to the US and Israel as a unit and claimed credit for the use of American equipment in Israel's aerial offensive against Iran.

Trump's Chat With Those Who Did Not Agree

According to The Washington Post report, Trump met influential aides such as Stephen K Bannon and Charlie Kirk and discussed the matter. Officials said he was happy to hear from Bannon and other voices critical of US involvement in this conflict, but they did not sway him. "He was listening to people across the ideological perspective. Ultimately, the president felt this is a decision the base should support and get behind, because ultimately, he's preventing a conflict that very well could have happened if the supreme leader instructed Iran to create a nuclear weapon," an official said.

The Moment Trump Took The Call?

According to top US government officials, there was no specific moment when Trump decided to bite the bullet. A senior official said the decision was based on "a feeling" as the President realised diplomacy would not lead to an acceptable outcome. JD Vance endorsed this. During a Meet The Press interaction, the US Vice President was asked when exactly Trump made the decision. "I don't know that any of us knew exactly when the President made the decision, except for the President himself," he replied. When the reporter persisted, Vance said he thinks that Trump "over time decided this was necessary". "But of course, he had the ability to call off this attack until the very last minute. He obviously decided to proceed."