Netanyahu Proposed Iran War To 3 US Presidents Before Trump, All Rejected: EX-US Top Official

Last Updated:April 23, 2026, 08:22 IST

John Kerry said Benjamin Netanyahu repeatedly pushed US presidents to back a war on Iran, but Obama, Bush and Biden all rejected the proposal in favour of diplomacy.

Former US Secretary of State John Kerry has said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeatedly proposed military action against Iran to successive American presidents, but each time, the idea was rejected.

Speaking on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Kerry confirmed that Netanyahu made a similar case during Barack Obama’s administration, when Kerry himself was serving as Secretary of State.

LIVE Updates On The US-Iran War

“Yes," Kerry said when asked if Netanyahu had presented the argument for war. When pressed on the response, he replied bluntly: “No."

‘OBAMA, BUSH, BIDEN ALL SAID NO’

Kerry expanded on the broader pattern, saying that multiple US leaders had declined Netanyahu’s proposal.

“Obama said no, uh, Bush said no, President Biden said no," he said, referring to George W Bush and Joe Biden.

“I mean, I was part of those conversations. I remember them well."

He added that the consistent refusal stemmed from a belief that diplomatic avenues had not been fully explored.

“We just felt that we had not exhausted all the remedies of a peaceful process," Kerry said.

PREDICTIONS OF REGIME CHANGE ‘NONE OF IT HAPPENED’

Citing reporting by The New York Times, Kerry said Netanyahu’s pitch included predictions that military action would trigger internal upheaval in Iran.

“The article made it clear that, uh, Prime Minister Netanyahu made his case," Kerry said.

The proposal, he noted, envisioned “we’re gonna have, uh, a rebellion… people will, you know, regime change, people take over the country."

“And, of course, that… none of it happened," he added.

Kerry also referred to the same report’s account of a later discussion involving Donald Trump, saying that at the end of that meeting, Trump responded, “Okay, by me."

‘DON’T LIE TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE’

Drawing on his experience as a veteran of the Vietnam War, Kerry warned against the consequences of entering conflicts based on flawed premises.

“We were lied to about what that war was about," he said.

“The lesson of that war, and of Iraq, is don’t lie to the American people and then ask them to send their sons and daughters to fight. Don’t do that."

As reported on April 8, Israel had backed US President Donald Trump’s decision to suspend strikes against Iran for two weeks to create space for negotiations.

Israel supported the move on the condition that Tehran “immediately opened the strait and stopped attacks against the United States, Israel and countries in the region," Reuters reported.

The report added that the temporary halt in fighting was aimed at de-escalation.

Washington has also reassured Israel of its commitment to ensuring Iran does not pose a nuclear or missile threat.

However, the ceasefire did not extend to Lebanon.

Reuters noted that Israel’s campaign there had intensified after Hezbollah launched rockets in support of Iran, triggering a broader Israeli offensive that has caused heavy casualties and mass displacement.

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News world Netanyahu Proposed Iran War To 3 US Presidents Before Trump, All Rejected: EX-US Top Official

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