Why Trump hasn’t bombed Iran yet

By David Blair January 16, 2026 — 11.33am Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size No one relishes the power to keep everyone guessing more than Donald Trump. Until and unless America’s laser-guided bombs start pulverising targets in Iran, the US president will delight in keeping friend and foe alike in suspense. Having assured Iran’s protesters on Tuesday that “help is on the way” , he appeared to row back 24 hours later by claiming that the regime was no longer killing its opponents and would not execute people rounded up for taking part in the demonstrations. Protesters take to the streets in Tehran on January 9. Credit: AP But aside from calculated see-sawing, intended to create maximum uncertainty and preserve surprise, Trump’s decision-making will be complicated by a vital factor. America’s friends in the Middle East , including the leaders he most respects and listens to, are offering diametrically opposing counsel on what to do next. The question of whether to unleash American firepower to overthrow Iran’s regime pits the influence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, against that of Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Netanyahu will be urging Trump on even as the Saudi tries to hold him back. And in the camp of the restrainers, the Saudi de-facto ruler is joined by every other Gulf leader, including two of Trump’s favourites: Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed. All are now engaged in intense diplomatic efforts to pull America back from the brink, joined by Egypt and Turkey. Netanyahu, meanwhile, has been more consistent and vehement than anyone else in his wish to see the back of Iran’s regime, which he has likened to a “ferocious tiger with nuclear fangs”. US President Donald Trump with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago last month. Credit: AP Last June, he started what became a joint US-Israeli air campaign to destroy Iran’s nuclear plants. Yet the moment America’s B-2 stealth bombers returned to base , having devastated these targets with the heaviest bunker-busting munitions in the world, Trump instantly called a halt to Operation Midnight Hammer, even insisting that Netanyahu turn around Israeli strike aircraft in mid-flight. By stopping the offensive after 12 days, Trump left Iran’s regime intact and armed with a good proportion of its ballistic missiles. Advertisement Now Netanyahu wants Trump to finish the job once and for all, taking advantage of the mass protests against Iran’s leaders. Any renewed onslaught might cause Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to retaliate by firing Iran’s missiles at US allies in the region, including Israel. And the downfall of his regime would risk wholly unpredictable consequences, including civil war and the collapse of the Iranian state. But Netanyahu is convinced that toppling the Islamic Republic would justify these dangers. He has...

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